Library of the Health Sciences - Urbana

Searching Databases: Broadening Searches

If you are getting too few articles:

• Use general subject headings.
• Combine fewer subject headings using the AND boolean operator
• Combine similar terms using the OR boolean operator
• Truncate to retrieve all possible word-ending variations when title or keyword searching.
  • In Ovid databases, use "$"
    (Example: "pregnan$" retrieves pregnancy, pregnant, etc.)
  • In Medline (PubMed or IGM), use "*"
    (Example: "pregnan*" retrieves pregnancy, pregnant, etc.)