SPIA: Welcome to the Library

While the information in Search Basics will give you a solid foundation to search in a database, you may still run into snags in your search, such as finding too many results that are off topic. These tips will address ways you can further tailor your search results to be more in line with what you are trying to research.

Filters can be found on the side of your results list. They let you further narrow down your search without altering your keywords

These are especially useful to narrow down your dates. The "Subject", "topic", or similar filter lets you exclude results that technically are using your keywords but aren't in the correct field/area of study 

Subject headings are the words attached to a result to describe its topic, and you can use them to further develop your search

You can find subject headings in many (but not all) databases after your initial search. Sometimes (as in our Catalog) you have to click on a result to see its subject headings, but some databases will include them as part of the result preview in your result list itself

Consider adding these subject headings to your search or swapping out your existing search terms with subjects headings already attached to a decent result. This can help you expand your results or find results that are more useful/on topic

NOTE: In Articles+, you can find subject headings by selecting the "Quick Look" option on a search result

Here's where you can find subject headings in a book from the library catalog: 

The advanced search feature allows you to easily separate out groups of search terms and search across multiple fields, like by Author and Keyword. Note that authors can also include organizations, as in the example below.

This feature also allows you to apply some filters (such as year and format) before you see your results list.

Here is how this feature looks in the Catalog: 

You can reach this feature in Articles+ by selecting "Options":