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Combine words with

• AND to get results that have both words. 
• OR to get results that have either or both words.
• NOT to get results that have one word but not the other. 

Put words in quotation marks (sometimes brackets or curly brackets) to get results that have the exact phrase. For example:

• "genetic engineering"
• (genetic engineering)
• {genetic engineering}

Add an asterisk to the end of a word to get results that include the root word as well as any possible endings. For example if you search with Child* results will include the words: 

• Child
• Children
• Childhood

Many databases allow you to specify that the words you are searching are within a certain proximity of each other. Proximity operators vary by database, but some common ones include W# (with, within) and N# (near).

W# specifies that words appear in the order you type them. Substitute the # with a number of words that may appear in between. If no number if given, then it specifies an exact phrase.

• Example: cold W2 therapy retrieves: cold therapy, cold water therapy, etc.

N# can specify that the words may appear in any order. Substitute the # with a number of words that may appear in between.

• Example: cloning N3 human retrieves: cloning of humans, human cloning, etc.

Subject headings are controlled vocabulary and terminology to identify resources on that topic.

To find subject headings:

• Look at subject heading thesauri used by the database you're searching:
  • PubMed = MeSH
  • MEDLINE = MeSH
  • EMBASE = EMTREE Thesaurus (select Map Term to Subject Heading)
  • CAB Abstracts = CAB Thesaurus (select Map Term to Subject Heading)
  • FSTA = FSTA Thesaurus (select Map Term to Subject Heading)
  • Compendex = Compendex Thesaurus
  • MathSciNet = Mathematical Subject Classification
  • CINAHL = CINAHL Headings (select Suggest Subject Terms)
  • ERIC = ERIC Thesaurus
  • Scopus does not use subject headings.
  • Web of Science does not use subject headings. Web of Science uses categories which are visible in your search results.
  • SciFinder does not use subject headings. SciFinder uses research topics to find related resources.
     
• Check the Help pages for how to use subject headings in your database.

If you need to mix your boolean operators in one search string you need to use brackets to tell the database how to group your terms together. Just like in math the operations inside the brackets are conducted as a step in the over all search.

Group synonymous terms using parentheses with OR in between those terms.

• e.g. (teen OR teens OR teenagers OR youth OR adolescent OR adolescents)

The database will search this as a group first before combining it with the next term or group of terms

Combine the groups of synonymous terms using AND.

• e.g. (teen OR teens OR teenagers OR youth OR adolescent OR adolescents) AND (driver OR drivers OR driving)

Records in databases are comprised of fields containing specific pieces of bibliographic information. Limiting your search to specific fields in a database can yield more precise results. Look for the Advanced Search page to search specific fields.

Common fields include: title, authors, source, publication type, language, subject headings, abstract, publication date, and DOI.

Search filters (a.k.a. hedges) can be used to search for specific aspects of your topic (e.g. geographic region, population).

• Low and middle income countries search filters: https://epoc.cochrane.org/lmic-filters
• Geographic filters: https://sites.google.com/a/york.ac.uk/issg-search-filters-resource/home/geography?authuser=0
• Language for addressing antiquated, non-standard, exclusionary, and potentially offensive terms in evidence syntheses and systematic searches: https://dx.doi.org/10.7302/6408
• CADTH Search Filter Database
• Fédération des milieux documentaires
• McMaster Health Information Research Unit (HiRU) Search Filters
• Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
• University of Alberta Health Sciences Search Filters