Expanding a Search


Many of the same techniques apply to expanding and narrowing a search. Look for better words to describe your topic or change the way you combine them in the search engine.

Select a promising record from among your results. Click on the title to see the whole record for that item. You will find several clues to other search terms on this screen.
Use the Show Similar Button

Click on the "Show Similar" button at the top or bottom of the screen. This will retrieve more items similar to this one.
Find Synonyms and other Keywords

In the best records you have found, examine the words in the table of contents and subjects headings. Do a Keywords search with similar terms joined by "OR" Example: (herbal or dietary) and supplements

Use a Wildcard

In the Keyword search, use a wildcard symbol * to find different word endings.

Example: herbal*
finds herbal, herbalism, herbalist, herbals, etc.