Unlike Google, library databases don’t search in full questions. Instead, they rely on keywords—the most important words from your research question or topic.

Tips for Building Keywords

1. Focus on the Big Ideas: Pick out the unique terms in your research question.
   ✅ Good keywords: activism, street art, performance
   ❌ Weak keywords: effect, things, good

2. Use 2–4 Keywords: Too few = irrelevant results, Too many = no results.

3. Mix & Match: Try different keyword combinations.

4. Think of Synonyms: activism → social movements; art → visual culture / creative expression.

5. Use Subject Terms: Look for subject terms in articles for precise results.

Selecting the best or most appropriate finding aid for identifying sources depends almost entirely on the context of your research assignment. There is no single database or web search interface that will work for every research context; instead, you'll need to match your specific research needs to a variety of options.

Library catalog searches (i.e., Primo) can be the better choice when you are seeking in-depth, book-length treatments of a topic.

Multidisciplinary databases (i.e., JSTOR) cover a wide variety of subject areas and may include a mix of popular and scholarly sources. They can be the most appropriate choice when you just want to get a sense of what's available on a topic and when it isn't so important that you pay attention to disciplinary lenses.

Subject databases (i.e., MLA International Bibliography) cover a specific discipline and provide the widest range of access to scholarly sources. They are used for in-depth research. Which subject databases you search will be determined by who may be writing about your topic. Recommended subject databases for each discipline can be found on the "articles" page in each library subject guide.

Use Advanced Search and limit features whenever possible. Subset limits, date limits, citation searches, subject searches, etc. -- are all useful timesavers.

More Search Tips:

• Start with a general search.

• Use quotes for phrases.
  • "modern dance"
• Use AND to find all the words on your topic.
• Use OR to find any of the words on your topic.
  • dance AND (male OR masculinity OR men)
• Use NOT to eliminate a term 
  • Shakespeare NOT Hamlet
• The symbol * is used as a right hand truncation character in most databases; it will find all forms of a word.
  • Ex. danc* will retrieve dance, dancers, dancing, etc.
• Be flexible in your searching.

Primo Search is used to find resources and materials in the Collins Library and Summit Libraries' collections (Summit items can be requested and will arrive here in 2-3 days). Find thousands of books, scholarly journal articles, streaming films, and more. Use the filters found on the right of your search results to refine your results by location, format, and many other criteria.

While most content from our subscribed databases is in Primo, not all of it is, so searching databases directly is still recommended in order to view everything available!

The databases listed below are examples of multidisciplinary finding tools.

Searching these databases is an excellent way to discover which disciplines have studied your topic, and get a sense of the different perspectives they bring to the topic.

Once you've explored some of these tools you may then want to search a subject specific database to get a more in-depth collection of materials related to your topic that come from that discipline.