How to Search
Step 1: Enter search terms just as you would when web searching.
Step 2: Refining a Search
Usually, your result set should be under 150. Adapting your search strategy and narrowing your search helps to ensure that you find the most relevant results.
Refining a Search: Narrowing your search
Refining a Search: Adding Search Terms
AND Add concepts to narrow your search. What aspect of your topic interests you?
OR Databases search only for the words you use. Use synonyms to broaden your search.
Phrases Use quotation marks around a group of words to search for those words in that specific order.
Truncation The star * is the truncation symbol for most research databases.
Use it to find all words that start with those letters.
This is especially helpful for plural forms of a word.
So, ethic* finds ethic, ethics, ethical, ethically...
Step 3: Selecting Results
When you find a really relevant article, mouse over the record and an icon will appear in the upper, right corner. Save the citation into a folder so you can send it to yourself.
Email the citations in the correct citation format for the course.
Discover SMU Libraries
Search all SMU's library databases to find articles, books, DVDs, and more. Discover is especially helpful for introductory or interdisciplinary searching.