Search Strategies
To enter the database, go to the library website, search for Scopus, and click on the title.
Databases function differently from web search engines; you often won't be able to search for your whole sentence or question. You'll need to take the concepts and keywords you thought of earlier and connect them using the databases' method of organization. Most databases use Boolean operators that tell it how to connect the terms in your search using: AND, OR, or NOT
We'll show you how to do this for a basic search in a database (such as connecting your main concepts with AND).
OPTIONAL Handy Hint: Most databases have Search Tips or a help guide to show you how the database works.
Search Results
Once you've done your search, you'll see your results and can look at the abstracts (brief articles descriptions) or view the full text of the article using the Full Text from Publisher or Get it! Cornell buttons.
Select results you want to save, add them to a marked list, and export or email the citations for later use.
Boolean Operators
Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT
AND: use the word AND to retrieve results that contain both terms. Example: temperature AND protist endosymbionts AND coral (Note: you will retrieve fewer results than when you use OR)
OR: use the word OR to retrieve results that return one search term or the other. Example: temperature OR warming OR cooling (Note: you will retrieve more results than when you use AND)
NOT: use the word NOT to exclude results that contain the search term (coral NOT jewelry)
Citation Page
