How to use CD-ROMs and other databases

Not enough hits?

If you get too few hits try the following:

• reduce the number of concepts you are using
• use an OR search to broaden your search
• consult a thesaurus or index for alternative terms
• try to use more general search terms
• use subject headings as search terms
• make sure you have used any brackets or Boolean operators correctly
• use truncation to get variations on your term, or use alternate spellings
• try searching across all the fields instead of a specific one

If none of these help, you may be using an inappropriate database for your needs. Check what others are available.

Many databases offer a thesaurus or index of all the terms within the database, or even build a tree-like hierarchical structure of these terms to help you narrow down what you are searching for, especially in the Sciences. This is often a good way to find out which term a database is using to describe something eg heart attack or heart arrest.