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Databases

UIUC Library

Database Help Chart

DATABASE VENDORS

Boolean Operators

explanation

Truncations

explanation

Single-Character Wildcard
explanation

Multi-Character Wildcard
explanation

CRIS

AND, OR, NOT, ;

child ?

wom ?n

col ?r

Cambridge Sci. Abstr. (CSA)

AND, OR, NOT, ""

child *

wom ?n

col *r

Chemical Abstracts

N / A

child ?

wom #n

col ?r

EBSCO

AND, OR, NOT, "",
N(#) = near
W# = within		 child* wom ?n wom ?n

Expanded Academic

AND, OR

N / A

N / A

N / A

FAO Stat Statistics

AND, OR

N / A

N / A

N / A

FirstSearch

AND, OR, NOT

child */ child +

wom #n

col ?r

Ovid

AND, OR, NOT, NEAR, ""

child $/ child :

wom #n

col ?r

Gateway

AND, OR

child ?

wom #n

col ?r

Web of Science

AND, OR, NOT, SAME 

child *

wom ?n, wom *n

col *r

WebSPIRS

AND, OR, NOT, NEAR, ""

child *

wom ?n

fly **/ col ?r

 

**Please read the explanations below for further assistance.**

Boolean Operators: Basic commands that expand or limit the search.

AND: All terms joined by AND must occur in the record.

NOT: The term following NOT must be absent from the record.

SAME: The terms joined by SAME must occur in the same record.

OR: Any one of the terms joined by OR must occur in the record.

NEAR: The terms joined by NEAR must be in the same field of the record, e.g., both in the abstract.

 

Truncations: Searches by the root of the word and for anything added onto the trunk of the word.

?    --    For example, enter "child ?" to search for child, children, childhood, etc.

*    --   For example, enter "child *" to search for child, children, childhood, etc.

$    --   For example, enter "child $" to search for child, children, childhood, etc.


Single-Character Wildcard:  Substitutes one letter to search for alternate spellings.

?   --   For example, enter "wom ?n" to search for woman or women.

#   --   For example, enter "wom #n" to search for woman or women.

*   --   For example, enter "wom *n" to search for woman or women.

 

Multiple-Character Wildcard: Substitutes one or more letters to search for alternate spellings.

?   --   For example, enter "col ?r" to search for color or colour.

*   --   For example, enter "col *r" to search for color or colour.

**   --   For example, enter "col **r" to search for color or colour.