Database producers strive to make the appearance of their search engines unique so you will recognize their “brand.” This can be confusing to searchers when the University Libraries makes so many databases available to users. There are some common points that might help you orient yourself to a new search engine.
· A box for you to enter your search terms
· A pull-down menu to specify the part of the record or the field where you want your search to take place
· A selection of Boolean operators (ex. and, or, not) to show relationships between your search terms
· Choice of limiting possibilities such as language, date of publication, publication format
· Options to display and save your results
Use the pull-down menu in the Searching Databases tab for more information on locating books and journal articles.