Frustrated with your database searches? Read the top 10 tips for finding what you want.

10. Use an asterisk * to find words that share the same root word. For example, if you are doing a report on glaciers search the database using . Your search results will include articles that have the words glaciers, glacier, glacial, glaciology, glaciations and glaciogenic.

9. EbscoHost and Infotrac search for search terms in the title and abstract of an article. If you are not getting good search results try searching in the full text of the articles. To do this search in EbscoHost click the radio button under the main search window labeled “search within full text articles”. For full text searching in Infotrac use a keyword search and just below the search window, within the yellow box, click the radio button labeled “anywhere in text”.

8. In EbscoHost, if you have found the perfect article click one of the subject headings at the top of the article or click “find more” to locate similar articles. In Infotrac click a subject heading at the end of the article for additional articles on your topic.

7. If you have questions about citing an article in EbscoHost click the Help button. Go to “Index” and click either APA or MLA and EbscoHost will show you how to cite articles in those styles.

In Infotrac click Help then “Help Index” and look under “What do I need”. Click “How do I cite an article?” for APA and MLA examples.

6. To search a database using a foreign language use Ethnic Newswatch or EbscoHost. In Ethnic Newswatch, click on Espanol to find articles in Spanish. In EbscoHost, click on the link for Deutsch, Espanol or Francais to access the search screen in one of these languages. To view an article in a non-English language, click on the article title in the results screen; scroll down to the bottom of the abstract. Click on the pull-down arrow next to the translate button and select the language you want.

5. If you are looking for literary criticisms in EbscoHost or Infotrac try a subject search by the author, last name first. If there is a subject heading for that author click on the word “subdivisions” in EbscoHost and “Narrow” in Infotrac. Then click the heading “criticism.”

4. Did you forget how to spell a word? Click the American Heritage button in EbscoHost for a dictionary.

3. If you want to find a previous search press the control button and the letter “h”. Now you can view your search history

2. Use brief search terms in a keyword search. If you string more than 2 words together you may not retrieve any hits.

1. Call the Periodicals Desk for help: 929-3405!