Advanced Search Tips and Common Search Problems

Having research trouble? Don't worry, it's normal for a search to take a few tries to get right. Check out these advanced search tips, and get advice for common search problems.    

When you’re searching OneSearch or another library database to look for information about the effects of COVID-19 on athletes, what do you do to make sure both terms will appear in your search results? You use the word AND between your keywords. In other words, you search:

covid AND athletes

However, searching for the concept of covid can be difficult. How do you know which word to search by, covid or coronavirus?

It’s a problem, isn’t it? On the one hand, if you search by “covid,” then you’ll miss all the search results that might call it “coronavirus.” On the other hand, if you search by “coronavirus,” then you’ll miss all the results that call it “covid”!

What can you do in this case? There’s another word you can use. It’s the word OR. You use it between your synonyms. In other words, you search the database with:

(covid OR coronavirus) AND athletes

Don’t forget to put parentheses around your synonyms!

You can also use the Advanced Search option in OneSearch. Just put each of the three keywords in its own box, and choose AND or OR between the keywords from the pulldown menus.

If you're stuck on a search that just doesn't seem to be working, you may be encountering a common search problem such as using the wrong keywords in your search. This guide Search Help: Common Search Problems can help you get back on the right track.