Libraries Search

1. You can choose to type in a search or choose to enter an items barcode.
2. Choose which category search you wish to do.
3. Choose where you want your search terms to appear:
   1. Any Field
   2. Title
   3. Collection Title
   4. Series
   5. Author/Creator
   6. Subject
   7. ISBN
   8. ISSN
4. Choose from:
   1. Contains
   2. Contains exact phrase
   3. Starts with
   4. Equals exact phrase
5. Enter search terms – you can use the same methods as mentioned in the Default Search Box (see previous section on this page).
6. Choose the Boolean operator you want to use between boxes.
7. Add additional boxes or clear your search.
8. Specify limits prior to search:
   1. Resource Type
   2. Language
   3. Publication Date range (you can enter just years)

You can enter your search terms in the default search box. Consider the following when searching:

• Do not enter sentences or questions. Stick to terms that reflect important concepts.
• You can use Booleean Operators
  • AND to make sure all terms are present
    • Example: dogs AND chocolate
  • OR to make sure at least one term is present
    • Example: cats OR dogs OR pets
  • NOT to eliminate a term
    • cats NOT lions
• Use ( ) to group terms
  • Example: (cats OR dogs OR pets) AND chocolate
• Use " " to find an exact phrase of 2 or more words.
  • Example: "music therapy"
• Use * to replace multiple characters
  • Example: engineer* searches for engineer, engineers, engineered, engineering, etc.
  • Use with caution, cat* finds cat, cats, catalog, catamaran, catatonic, etc.
• Use ? to replace exactly one character
  • Example: wom?n finds woman, women
  • Do not use for plurals, cat? will find cats, but not cat.

• Everything: Find online and physical books, journal titles, individual articles, audiovisual materials, library guides, and more. 
• Library Catalog: Find online and physical books, journal and database titles, audiovisual materials, and more. Does not find individual articles. 
• Articles: Searches for journal articles from most disciplines.  
• Course Reserves: Finds print materials, select ebooks, and streaming videos connected to specific courses. 
• Research Guides: Finds targeted library guides that may be useful to your search. 
• Digital Local Collections: Finds materials that are rare/unique or of local interest that are made available digitally. 
• OhioLINK Search: Finds items available at OhioLINK libraries.
• Beyond My Library: Finds content available beyond Ohio State and OhioLINK.

Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research is the Unviersity Libraries' ebook that gives tips on searching resources. Make use of this ebook for ways in which to create quality searches, evaluate results, and more.