Sciences and Technology Database Help: Web of Science

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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 to get results that have the exact phrase. For example:

• "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
• childbearing
• childfree
• Etc.

Web of Science allows you to specify that the words you are searching are within a certain proximity of each other. Use NEAR/n to find records containing all terms within a certain number of words (n) of each other.

NEAR/n can specify that words appear in the order you type them. Substitute the # with a number of words that may appear in between. If you don't enter a number, Web of Science defaults to words within 15 words of each other (NEAR/15).

• Example: cold NEAR/2 therapy retrieves: cold therapy, cold water therapy, etc.).
• Example: cloning NEAR/3 human retrieves: cloning of humans, human cloning, etc.).

Subject headings are controlled vocabulary and terminology to identify resources on that topic. Web of Science does not use subject headings.

Web of Science's Core Collection uses categories which are visible in your search results. Categories are assigned at the journal level. Web of Science also uses research areas, at the article level, which are shared between all Web of Science databases.

To view scope notes of Web of Science categories, please visit Master Journal List help.

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 Web of Science 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.

Web of Science fields include:

• Topic (title, abstract, author keywords, Keywords Plus)
• Title
• Author(s)
• Abstract
• Publication titles
• Subject categories

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

• 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
• University of Alberta Health Sciences Search Filters