Page 112 - DLIS405_INFORMATION_STORAGE_AND_RETRIEVAL

Reena Kapoor, Lovely Professional University Unit 11: Online Searching: Library Databases

Notes
Unit 11: Online Searching: Library Databases

CONTENTS
Objectives

Introduction

11.1 Search Strategies
11.2 Summary

11.3 Keywords

11.4 Review Questions
11.5 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:
• Explain search strategies.

Introduction

The fundamentals of Boolean searching, the basics of using the OPAC, and an introduction to using
print indexes and the Periodicals Holdings List have been explored in previous pages. And several of
the searching principles learned in prior readings can be applied to searching Ebscohost MasterFile
Premier. When you are at SMC you have on-campus access to Ebscohost without having to log in
with your SMC username and password. However, for off-campus access to Ebscohost, and to other
Library online resources, you will need to use the username and password provided by your SMC
student account.
Ebscohost is one of SMC Library’s electronic periodical indexes, used in order to find appropriate
articles from magazines, newspapers, or journals. Ebscohost is a web-based database to which the
SMC Library subscribes. This online general index comes to us via the World Wide Web, but it is a
proprietary database published by the Ebsco company. Since Ebscohost is a general index, it contains
articles on many subject areas instead of just one. In addition, it offers keyword, customizable
searching and the full text of many of its articles, which come from magazines, journals, newspapers,
and other sources.

11.1 Search Strategies

Search Strategies – Keyword Searching

Let’s examine some search strategies you can use to get more relevant results from your library research.
Keyword searching is the default in many of the library databases. So what does this mean? It means
the database will look “everywhere” for your search terms, including: titles, author names, summaries,
and sometimes even the full text of an article, dissertation, or book.

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