Database Searching

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Database Searching
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The Basics

• Select a research topic
• Develop a list of keywords
• Databases are literal if you type in a phrase
  it will search for the phrasevietnam war
  soldiers
• For more flexibility, use Boolean
  operators/connectors

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Boolean Searching

• Use Boolean operators/connectors to tell the
  database which results you need.
• AND, OR, and NOT
• Use Boolean operators to connect your keywords
  together.

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Topic

• African American soldiers in Vietnam

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Boolean AND

• Narrows your search.
• Records must include all of the combined terms.

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Boolean OR

• Broadens your search
• Records include at least 1 of the terms.
• Generally used to combine synonyms, related
  terms, alternate spellings, and acronyms

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Combining Boolean operators
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Truncation / wildcard

• Search for several words with the same root by
  entering each word connected with OR or by
  truncating the word.
• Helps retrieve singular and plural forms of
  words
• black finds black, blacks
• The truncation symbol acts as an OR
• black OR blacks
• Check the database to determine the appropriate
  truncation symbol (? OR OR !)

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Developing a search statement

• Topic media during the vietnam war

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Developing a search statement
TOPIC Media during the Vietnam war
Key Concepts
Related terms People Places Events Dates Org
anizations
An encyclopedia or google may behelpful in
identifying these terms.
Synonyms
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Example
Media during the Vietnam war
Related Terms

• Neil Sheehan
• Peter Arnett
• David Halberstam
• Associated Press
• New York Times
• Reporters
• Correspondents
• Journalists
• News syndicates

Found in Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War
Media Vietnam war
news mediapressnewspapersbroadcastingtelevisio
n
VietnamVietnam warVietnamese conflict
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Search Statements

• Type keywords / key concepts / key phrases linked
  by Boolean connectors into databases
• news media AND vietnam
• (journalist OR reporter OR correspondent) AND
  (vietnam OR vietnamese conflict)
• (neil sheehan OR peter arnett) AND (vietnam OR
  vietnamese conflict)