Exercise Physiology (BIOL 440)

Databases respond better to single words or short phrases than to long, natural language queries. Connect words and phrases with AND or OR.

• LESS GOOD: best way to treat shin splints in runners
• BETTER: shin splints AND running AND treatment

Databases tend to have official subject headings that they use for different topics. Try to find out which subject headings apply to your search. (Look at the database record of a good article to see which subject headings were used, or search the database's thesaurus directly.)

• WORDS SEARCHER USES: Nordic skiing; ACL
• SUBJECT HEADINGS DATABASE USES: cross-country skiing; anterior cruciate ligament

Sometimes it makes more sense to use advanced search options or limiters than words to narrow your search.

• Instead of typing deep vein thrombosis review articles, type deep vein thrombosis and limit your search to review articles using the database's advanced search options.
• Limiters are also available for things like language, date of publication, article or publication type, type of subject (human/animal), gender, age, etc.

If your search could include a number of related words (e.g. athlete, athletes, athletic, etc.), most databases let you use a wildcard to search for all of them at once.

• Type as much of the word as all of its forms have in common, then type the wildcard character (usually an asterisk).
• EXAMPLE: a search for athlet* will bring up articles that include the words athlete, athletes, athletic, athletics...)

BE PERSISTENT!

The first search that a researcher types in almost never brings back exactly what they need. It's not at all uncommon for the first search that you try to yield zero results! Try different words; try adding or removing limiters; and, if you're still not having luck, talk with a librarian or your instructor -- we can help!