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Ithaca College Library

STCM 45000: Communication Consulting Lab

Cathy Michael

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Cathy Michael
Phone:
Ithaca College Library 953 Danby Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850‑7002
607-274-1293
Website

Advanced Search Strategies

I begin with a keyword search, examine my search results and look at the subject headings of articles that are relevant.  I run multiple subsequent searches where I combine subjects and keywords.  I also push keywords in various fields such as the title.  Specific names and phrases I may put down in the All Text (the body of the article.  
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ProQuest Platform: Look at the Platform Features > Search Tips.  I utilize boolean operators and sometimes use the proximity operator NEAR:

NEAR/#

   N/#

Finds documents where the search terms are separated by up to a certain number of words of each other (either before or after). Note: If you don't specify a number after the slash, NEAR will default to maximum 4 intervening words between terms

     Example: computer NEAR/3 careers     

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EBSCO platform.  You can use the Help in the upper right or use their "EBSCO Connect" page.  They also have a proximity search.

The proximity operator is placed between the words that are to be searched, as follows:

  • Near Operator (N): N5 finds the words if they are a maximum of five words apart from one another, regardless of the order in which they appear. For example, type tax N5 reform to find results that have a maximum of five words between the beginning and ending terms, that would match tax reform as well as tax that has been submitted for reform.

  • Within Operator (W): W8 finds the words if they are within eight words of one another, in the order in which you entered them. For example, type tax W8 reform to find results that would match tax reform but would not match reform of income tax.

 

Best Bets: Databases

Multidisciplinary Search

Business 

Communications

News