What can a Basic Search provider to a user?
- Purpose: To perform a general search using keywords or phrases.
- How it works: You enter any word or phrase into a single search box.
- Results: Typically provides broad and general results based on your input.
- Best for: Quick searches for broad topics or when you don't have specific criteria.
Some Key Basic Search Tips to use on your research journey:
- Library catalogues are not like Google! Instead of typing a full sentence or statement into the Search field, use the keywords you have identified and enter them into the Basic Search field. EXAMPLE: "Women" AND "Graphic Novels"
- Use quotation marks "" to search the database for phrases. The quotation marks tell the catalogue to search for the phrase that has been typed in, not each individual word. EXAMPLE: instead of searching gothic architecture, search for "gothic architecture". Two broad terms have become specific by being in the quotation marks!
- Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) as a great way to narrow or broaden your search. See the examples above and PRO TIP - if the boolean operators are capitalized, the database will know you're using those words as operators and won't search for all instances of "and" (which will bring back a ton of unnecessary materials!)
For some more great examples of Boolean Operators and how they will make your library searching more effective, watch this video by the staff at the University of Calgary Library:
