Search tips

When you search for articles you will find that your search results will contain more relevant articles if you use the search tips listed below.

Boolean search: AND, OR, NOT

Use AND, OR, NOT to include and exclude keywords.

global AND warming will find all articles containing both words

global OR warming will find all articles containing either the word global or warming

global NOT warming will find all articles containing the word global but not warming

Proximity search: “ ”, N

Use "" to find an exact phrase.

“global warming”will find all articles containing the exact phrase global warming

Use N to find keywords within close proximity to each other.

Climate N5 change will find all articles containing the word climate within five words of the word change (i.e. climate change, change of climate and climate of change)

Truncation

Use the truncation symbol * to find all words beginning with a common stem.

climat* will find all articles containing words beginning with climat i.e. climate, climates, climatic, climatology etc.

Parentheses

Use brackets to link different keywords in your search.

(“global warming” OR “greenhouse effect”) AND (environment* OR climat*) will find all articles containing the phrase global warming or greenhouse effect AND either words beginning with environment or climat.

Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning to another word. Try using alternative words in your search. Use a thesaurus to help you find alternative words.

(public OR citizens OR people OR society)

(finance OR commerce OR economics OR banking)

(herbal medicine OR alternative therapy OR alternative health OR herbalism)

Wildcard

Use a wildcard (usually ? or #) to find alternate spellings.

“organi#ational behavio#r*” will find all articles containing the phrases organisational behaviour(s) and organizational behavior(s).