Prince George's Community College

301 Largo Road
Largo, Maryland 20774

Using Online Databases
Module 4

Search Strategies

 

Before you begin to search the databases, it is important that you develop a well planned comprehensive search strategy. Determine what your keywords are and how you want them to link together. Always read the help screens and review any tutorials that have been developed for a particular database.

After you determine what your keywords are, consult any subject headings or guides to locate controlled vocabulary such as a thesaurus that may appear in the subject field. You will also want to decide what other fields may be valuable for your search.

Boolean searching is one of the basic and best search strategies that is used by most online databases. To review this type of strategy, click on Search Strategies for Online Resources.