How to Search in the Health Sciences: Truncation

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• Truncation is used with root words to express multiple endings
  • Example: 
    • cold*
    • would find cold, colder, coldest
• Wildcards are used within words to find words spelled differently but have the same meaning,
  • Example:
    • labo?r
    • would find labor or labour
• Truncation and wildcards vary from database to database. Check the database Help page to find out what to use in your search.
• Common truncation/wildcard symbols include: *, #, ?, $, !. You must find what symbol each database uses and how they use that symbol, you may not be getting the results you expect if you don't do this.

Warning: when using truncation make sure to use enough of the root word to express your idea, use too little and you will get bad results.

Example:

If you are looking for articles on therapy use 

therap*

This finds therapy, therapist, therapeutics...

Don't use

the*

This will find therapy words but also theology, thermal, thespian...

Searching Basics

1. Create a Searchable Question
2. Boolean Operators
3. Search Strategy
4. Did you get what you need?

Specific Skills

Searching