Choosing & Using Library Databases

Wildcards are used for search terms with unknown characters and alternate spellings.

Wildcard symbols include:

• ? = matches exactly one letter
• # = match zero or one letter
• * = matches multiple letters

Some examples using ?:

• Plurals: wom?n -> woman, women
• International spelling: defen?e -> defense, defence
• Unsure of spelling: devi?nce -> deviance, devience

Some examples using #:

• International spellings: colo#r -> color, colour
• Plurals: color# -> color, colors
• Unsure of spelling: gover#ment -> goverment, government
• Combine wildcards: colo#r# -> color, colour, colors, colours

Some examples using *:

• International spellings: orthop*dic -> orthopedic, orthopaedic
• Related concepts: psych*y -> psychology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, psychopathy
• Replace entire word: "A Midsummer * dream" -> A midsummer night's dream

Maximize your search by combining these tools:

• Boolean + proximity:
  • healthcare W8 (legislation OR reform OR law)
• Truncation + Boolean
  • olympi* AND athlet*
• Wildcard + truncation + Boolean
  • wom?n AND (equal* OR rights) AND (work* OR employ*)
• Wildcard + proximity + truncation
  • orthop*dic N6 rehabilit*

Truncation is used to search for various endings to root words. Use the asterisk symbol (*) for truncation.

Examples of truncation:

• International spellings:
  • theat* -> theatre, theater, ALSO theatrical
• Various endings: 
  • comput* -> computer, computing, computation
  • psycho* -> psychology, psychopathic, psychopathology, psychotherapy
• Use as many common letters as possible:
  • colon* -> colonoscopy, colonization, colon, colony
  • coloni* -> colonization, colonies, colonialism