COMM 290: Communication Problems and Research

• A standard search will retrieve information containing all of the keywords.
  • Example: Peshtigo fire will retrieve materials that include both keywords.
• Searching a person's name will retrieve information BY and ABOUT the person.
  • Example: Isabel Allende
• Use quotation marks to search exact phrases.
  • Example: "data mining"
• Use an asterisk(*) for truncation searching.
  • Example: organic farm* will retrieve: organic farm, organic farms, organic farmers, organic farming, etc.

By default, PsycInfo searches for all your terms anywhere in article records.

To refine your search:

1. Enter your keywords. Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.
2. Use the drop-down menu to search within specific fields, such as author, article title, or journal title.
3. Connect terms with AND to find results that include all terms, or use OR to find results containing any of the terms.

On the search results screen, click the title of an article to view more details and access or request the full text.

1. The article title appears with the authors, journal name, volume and issue (if available), year, and page numbers.
2. The abstract offers a brief summary of the article.
3. As you scroll down, you’ll find more details such as subject terms, author information, and the article’s DOI.

4. A few notes about the Tools options:

• To save a link, always use the Permalink tool—don’t copy the URL from the top of the browser.
• The Email, Print, and Save buttons only apply to the abstract unless full text is available on the page.
• The Cite button provides a basic citation, but you should always double-check it for accuracy before including it in your assignment.