Separate words and phrases with the word AND, like this:
housing AND segregation AND cities
The AND is called a Boolean operator.
Another Boolean operator is OR, which you can use to link synonyms:
(apartments OR houses OR condominiums) AND segregation AND cities
Notice that when you use OR, you also use parenthesis around the words your connecting (that's important!)
Use the asterisk to truncate words. Truncating means that you put an * at the end of the root word.
environment -- looks only for the word environment
environ* -- looks for environment, environmentally, environmental
More examples:
townho* = townhouse, townhouses, townhome, townhomes
loan* = loans, loaned, loaning
bank* = banks, banking, banker
Use quotation marks around common phrases. Quotation marks will keep your words "stuck" together.
"socioeconomic status"
"middle class"
"background check"
"gated community"
housing AND segregation AND cities
(apartments OR houses OR housing) AND segregation AND cities
(apartments OR houses OR housing) AND segregation AND cities AND loan*
(apartments OR houses OR housing) AND segregation AND (cities OR urban) AND loan* AND "background check"
1. Write down your idea in a sentence or two.
2. Cross out the fuzzy words and little words
3. Underline the words that remain. These words are your starting concepts.
4. Put an "and" between the concepts.
5. Add a touch of class to your search. Put quotation marks around the phrases so those words stay together.
The basic search statement we've written can be used in just about any database. Your search words in a database search box is called a search statement. Here's an example:
