Find articles on a topic
The best way to search for information depends on the subject area - for more information on subject-specific guides, see LibGuides.Start with LibrarySearch
An easy way to start is by using LibrarySearch - enter your keywords and click search.
If you've not found what you're looking for:
- Take a little time to consider the keywords you've used. For example, searching for 'dog' gives you two million results. Searching for 'canine' gives you 450,000 very different results. You will receive very different results again if you search for 'kennels', 'pups', 'Labradors' etc. The only way to work out what will work for you is to try a range of different words.
- Stuck for new keywords? Try a dictionary or thesaurus for synonyms, or look at a recommended textbook for the language and jargon used for your subject.
Too many results for your search?
If you have too many results, try the search tips below:
- Refine my results
In your search results, use the filters on the right hand side under 'Tweak my results' to limit by format, publication date, author, etc. If this makes the number of your search results too small, click on the 'x' next to Active Filters at the top of search results to remove the limit. - Phrase searching
If you are searching for a particular phrase, enclosing it in quotation marks will search for the words in that particular order, giving you a smaller number of results e.g. "global warming". - Advanced Search
Use the advanced search option to find a smaller number of results. You can use the drop-down lists to only search within the title or the author name , select 'Articles' from the Format drop-down list, or limit your search to a particular publication date.
Using a subject-specific database
For certain subjects, you may want to search within a specific database. e.g. CINAHL specifically for nursing, or ACM for computing.
To find a database, go to LibrarySearch:
- Select 'Databases' from the top bar.
- Enter the start of the database name and click 'Go' or search by All Subjects, Database Types or Vendors.
- Click on the title of the database to exit LibrarySearch and start using the database.
Literature Searching
If you want to do a more in-depth search, see the Literature Reviewing LibGuide.
See Subject LibGuides for more information.