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ABSTRACTS DATABASE ONLINE TUTORIAL

Refine Your Search

Don't use the General Search box. Refine your search using keywords in the title or author field if possible. Remember, the database has more than 200,000 documents to search.
Limit the search by date. The database covers literature dating back to the 1960s and earlier.
Use more specific words. Words such as "crime" or "police" will retrieve too much.
Choose an ALL or PHRASE search instead of an ANY search.

Use fewer terms. Too many terms can restrict a search.
Choose an ANY search instead of an ALL or PHRASE search.
Change one of the terms to a broader one. For example, replace "juvenile gangs" with "gangs."
Use synonyms or related words with an ANY search.
Use the "wildcard," include the pulural forms of words by typing an asterisk (*) after the search term(s). For example, "prison*" will find "prison," "prisons," "prisoners," and other words with the root word "prison".
Look for misspellings in the search terms.