Search strategies that will work for you!

By now you’ve gotten your barcode, landed on an interesting topic, and had a chance to search around in Opposing Viewpoints, CQ Researcher, and maybe more. But have you tried Magazine Articles Online/EBSCOhost? Our most popular database by far, this fantastic resource offers information in a wide variety of disciplines – business, art, biology, psychology, computer science, allied health, education . . . we could go on and on! So what are we waiting for, let’s jump in and start searching now -- at EBSCOhost.

Check out our expert search tips, then watch a searching pro in our video demo!

Several magazine article databases are available through EBSCOhost. You can choose one database or search several at once. For your Writing class, we recommend starting with MasterFILE Premier and Academic Search Premier.
There is searching smart, and then there is searching really smart. With a few simple tricks, you’ll be searching like a pro to find just what you need, just when you need it. For example:

• Truncation with the * symbol. Educat* will search for educate, education, educating, educator . . . you get the drift!
  
• AND and OR. To retrieve fewer results, use AND between different search terms. For example, education AND children. To retrieve more results, use OR between similar search terms. For example, children OR kids.
  
• Subject terms. Once you've located a good book or article on your topic, look at the words and phrases used to describe it in the catalog or database. These official subject links can help you in searching further, and you can click on them to find more books on your topic.
  
• Parentheses: Organize a complex search, for example: educat* AND (children OR kids).

If you think EBSCOHost is good, just wait until next week. We’ll talk about getting books and materials from the PCC Libraries as well as 30 other academic libraries in the Northwest!

See you then, Robin and Sheila, Fusion Librarians