FYS: Imagining the Middle Ages (Watts): Search tips!

Don't forget --

• Use KEYWORD searching initially to ID relevant records, for example:  chretien de troyes  interpretation (or "criticism").

• Use QUOTE MARKS around words that you wished to be grouped and searched in a particular order, for example:  "return of martin guerre" or "book of the city of ladies."

• You can FOCUS YOUR TOPIC (or search) by adding terms that limit by: 

                     genre or form,

                     time period,

                     geographical location, or   

                     key terms or concepts

• Use Library of Congress (LC) SUBJECT or DESCRIPTOR headings to find additional resources on the same or similar topics.

• Use TRUNCATION (i.e., shortening a word to its root or base form using a designated symbol, such as ?, * !, $) for words that might:

*Have more than one significant form, e.g., shakespear? = finds shakespeare, shakespearean, shakespeares, shakespearian.

*Have alternative spellings (type as much as you KNOW is correct!)., e.g. theater or theatre

N.B. (Nota bene!), the truncation symbol in the WorldCat Discovery Box is "?" or "*"  For MOST databases, use the asterisk    " * " .  If that doesnt work, consult the "help" screen of the database!

Also, N.B., you do NOT have to capitalize proper nouns when searching for them in online databases.

Everyman 1902 Poster by Ben Greet. Under Public Domain.

Everyman First Page author unknown. Used under Public Domain.