Advanced Searching Techniques: Special Characters

Truncation, is a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings.

Truncation is useful when you know one of your keywords has several endings, but all of the variations represent basically the same idea. Using truncation will help you complete your search faster because you will not have to manually type in and search every variation of the word.

To truncate a search term, do a keyword search in a database, but remove the ending of the word and add the correct truncation symbol to the end of the word. The database will retrieve results that include every word that begins with the letters you entered. 

Examples:

• child* = child, childs, children, childrens, childhood
• comput* = computer, computers, computing, computation

Not all words are suited to truncation 

• mat*=mates, maternity, mating, matrix, and math

Truncation symbols may vary by database; common symbols include: *, !, ?, or #. Look for help guides for assistance. 

Here are some examples: 

• EBSCO databases use the asterisks (*)
• JStor databases use the tilde (~)
• ScienceDirect database use asterisks (*)

Wildcard searching allows you to search for alternate spellings for words. 

Wildcards are useful when you know one or more of your keywords have alternative spellings. Using wildcards means you can search once for both spellings. 

To use wildcards, do a keyword search, but remove the letters for the alternate spellings and replace with the correct wildcard symbol. The database will retrieve results that include both spellings. 

• yog#urt= yogurt or yoghurt

• gr#y= grey or gray

• wom#n = women or woman

• defen#e = defense or defence

Wildcard symbols may vary by database; common symbols include: *, !, ?, or #. Look for help guides for assistance. 

Here are some examples: 

• EBSCO databases use the the hashtag symbol  (#)
• JStor databases use a question mark (?)

Phrase searching narrows your search results by allowing you to define precisely how you want the words to appear. 

For example, if you are searching for information on The Lord of the Rings novels then you are probably looking for those two words to appear right next to each other, with no other words in between, in the text of the document.

To make sure that the database searches this correctly you can put quotation marks around your search term and force the database to search this as a phrase.

• For example without quotation marks 
  • Lord of the Ring
     
• For example with quotation marks
  • “Lord of the Rings”

Be careful when you use phrase searching; if you put too many words in quotations the database will most likely not find any results. Only use phrase searching on established phrases - words that you can reasonably expect other authors used. Other examples

"Public school"

"Alberta government"

"test anxiety"