|
Truncation
symbol |
* (example - the search
ecolog* will result in
hits containing the words ecology, ecologies, ecological,
etc.) |
|
Wilcard symbol (single
character) |
? (example -
the search wom?n will result in
hits containing the words woman & women) |
|
Wildcard symbol (multiple
characters) |
* (example -
the search behav*r will result in hits
containing the words behavior and
behaviour) |
If you are retrieving too many hits, you may
want to narrow your search by using boolean operators.
- By combining search terms using "and" your
search results will contain both of the words connected by "and". For
example, the search wildlife and habitat will result in hits that
contain both of those terms.
- Another way to narrow your search would be
to use "not", another boolean operator. By linking search terms with
"not", you eliminate the second term of the search. For example, the
search behavior not breeding will result in hits that contain the word
behavior, but not the word breeding.
- You can also broaden your search by using
the term "or". By combining terms using "or", you will retrieve hits
that contain either of the terms linked by "or". For example, the search
bird of prey or raptor will result in hits that contain either of those search
terms.
For more information on search strategies, check out Ecology Abstract's
help
page.
Important tips to remember
when doing research using on-line databases:
- Think of alternate words
for the topics you are researching.
- If you are doing
research on a particular species, use both the common and scientific name when
building your search.
- If you aren't having
luck in the first database you chose, re-think your original choice. Is
your topic multi-disciplinary? Try using one of the more general
research databases, such as Current Contents
or Web of
Science.
- Since Ecology Abstracts is not full text,
you will need to use either the Electronic Journal Locator (EJL)
or GIL or look up the name of the
journal in the library's on-line catalog. Remember to copy down volume,
number, year, and page number information!
If you need additional help, please
contact the folks at the Reference Department of the UGA
Libraries:
Main
Reference - (706) 542-3251
Science Reference - (706)
542-0698
Web page created by Diana Hartle July 12, 2003
Last updated July 14,
2003