RMCAD Student Symposium

Searching databases and the internet is always easier when you use the right operators.  Databases rarely use the natural language that we have become accustomed to using in internet searching.  Databases use "controlled vocabulary" to facilitate searching, meaning they use a particular term for a particular subject. You will want to develop a list of the terms used in your field.

You always want to familiarize yourself with Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT.  These terms give you great control over your searches.

You can control your Google searches similarly.  Put a . + in front of a word to require it in your search.  Put your "Search term" in quotes to retrieve phrases.