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Ohio State Newark: Research & More: How to Conduct Research

Tips for Using the Library Catalog & Databases

Other Helpful Guides for Database Searching

Booleans

Booleans

AND - Commands a search engine to bring back both terms

OR - Commands a search engine to bring back either of the terms

NOT - Commands  a search engine to ignore all results with a certain word.

Quick tip: in Google, use a minus sign (-) instead of NOT

Quotation marks

Bring back exact search results.  "Ohio State University" means only OSU, no Ohio University too.

How to search

How do I type a search?

DO:

Do choose main topic words

Do use precise words

Do use Booleans!

Do use synonyms

DON'T

Don't use full sentences or sentence fragments

Don't be too vague when you are looking for something specific

Unless part of a proper name, don't include: A, The, An, etc.  

Contact Us:

Student sitting a table in the Warner Library.

John L & Christine Warner Library
Ohio State University
Newark Campus

newark.osu.edu/library

For help:
740-366-9307

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