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Database Search Tips

  • Search for a phrase using quotation marks e.g. "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" 

  • Combine concepts - "native people" AND canada AND teaching
    •  use AND to add terms to your search
  • Brainstorm for synonymns - indigenous, "First Nations", aboriginals, "native people"
    • use OR to include a list of synonyms or alternate terms for the same concept e.g. (indigenous OR "native people" OR "first nations")

  • Plurals and variants - Use * to truncate a word and get all of the possible endings e.g. teach* = teach, teacher, teaching, teaches etc

  • Sample search: 

(indigenous OR "native people" OR "first nations") AND teach*  AND elementary  AND canada

Google Search Tips

Search Google more effectively by using these tips:

  • Search for a phrase using quotation marks e.g. "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" 
  • Use to remove a term from your results e.g. --diet
  • site: will search for your terms within a particular domain or website e.g. "transgendered youth" site:.edu ; "classroom diversity" site:gc.ca
  • intitle: will improve your results by searching within the title of a website or page e.g. intitle: inclusion
  • Use filetype:pdf to limit to the type of file you want to find (a good way to find reports and publications) e.g. inclusion filetype:pdf
  • Use inurl: to find a word in the URL of a page or document,e.g. pride celebration inurl:report
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Pearl Herscovitch
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Contact:
Email: pherscovitch@mtroyal.ca
Phone: 403.440.6022
Office: EL4423B