Once you have selected a variety of keywords to use, it is time to build your search query.
Boolean Searching: Use the connector terms AND, OR, & NOT to structure your search query.
The IACUC requires you to record and include a sample of your search strategy. If your source will accept Boolean logic, use a sample string. If it does not, use a one-sentence narrative about your search words and processes.
Boolean logic is a code format that tells almost all databases exactly what results you want to find. You can use it to tell the database how to limit or expand your search. The basics :
Truncation Searching: Many databases will let you search for multiple keywords with the same root by using a truncation symbol such as * or ? at the end of the root.
This guide, created by the Animal Welfare Information Center, shows you how to use specific proximity, truncation, and Boolean operators to search Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and other popular databases.
The Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) of the USDA provides a number of useful resources for building your query. These hints are drawn from and inspired by them. See the box below for more resources from AWIC and other places to help you design your query.
These resources offer guidance on building useful search queries. See the Links & Tutorials page at the left for more resources.