AND : Use AND to look for two terms at the same time: Globalization AND Employment→will locate resources containing both terms.
OR: Use OR to look for closely related terms: Gender OR Woman→will look for both, but they do not have to be present in the same resources (this broadens your search).
* (SHIFT + 8): * is usually used at the end of a word that may vary: Nation*→will give you national, nationality, nationhood, and nationalism.
Using quotes when looking for a phrase: "global economy" or "national identity"
Before searching, make a general list of synonyms for search terms. When one search term does not work, you can substitute another term
For most databases, start with a simple search, using 2 or 3 terms.
"Don't invent the wheel if someone hands you the keys to a Porshe!"→Rely on the subject headings and/or bibliography of a work to find other sources.
Below are some ideal search terms for databases and the library's catalog.
For clothes use these terms: clothing OR costumes
The time period you are examining, for instance: medieval, "ancient greece", renaissance
Fashion for particular people: child*, women, men
Phrases such as the following:
"fashion design"
"costume design"
Examples of searches
clothing AND (servant OR maid) AND wom*n
"world war II" AND nylon AND fashion
