This page contains a description of InfoTree's Search feature. You may also want to look at some of the specific pages listed here:

• Introduction
• Types in InfoTree
• My InfoTree

You can search the contents of InfoTree's database by entering a query in the box at the top of any page, or by using the Advanced Search page. The Advanced Search box is also displayed at the bottom of every page of search results, should you wish to revise your search.

Search Hint: don't be too specific in entering your search term(s)! InfoTree primarily includes resources defined by broad subject areas; it is kind of a "database of databases" (and other kinds of research materials. For example, if you are looking for, say, information on Alzheimer's Disease, you should search InfoTree for terms such as medicine or aged or psychology--not the more specific term Alzheimer's.

The Search Results display both any Subject Terms used in the system (useful for identifying good areas for browsing) and all records that match the terms you entered for your search.

Basic Search Methods

Phrase Searching

Multiple words enclosed in quotation marks are searched as an exact phrase.

 

An example: The query "social psychology" will be searched as an exact phrase. The query social psychology without the quotation marks will assume a Boolean "and" operator (see below) and usually produce a larger number of results than the exact phrase search..

 

Boolean Operators

Use "and" or "or" to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use "not" to exclude words. Use parentheses to group words.

 

Basic Principles and Examples:

1. The "and" operator is the default (assumed) operator between two words or phrases. The use of "and" reduces the number of items found. The query social psychology produces the same results as social and psychology.
2. Using "or" will create a search for any of the terms and will produce more results. The query social or psychology will produce more results than social, psychology, social psychology or "social psychology".
3. Using "not" along with one or more other search terms will reduce the number of search results. The query psychology not history will produce fewer results than just psychology by itself. Be aware, however, that you may "lose" valuable "psychology" results in the process.

 

Word Roots (Truncation)

Entering an asterisk (*) along with the first part of a word will find all words that start with the letters you typed.

An example: soci* will find social, socially, socialist, sociology, society, etc.

 

Complex searches

The above-mentioned principles can be combined in a single search query, using parentheses to group individual terms.

An example:(sociology or psychology) and histor* will find either the word "sociology" or the word "psychology" along with any words that begin with "histor" such as "history," "historic," "historical," etc.

Advanced Searching

The Advanced Searching box, appearing at the bottom of the Search Results page, provides all of the search features described above plus the ability to "filter" (limit) searches in any of several ways: