These search tips can help you to find more relevant results in Primo Search and many other library databases. If these tips don't work in the database you are using check their help section for their set of symbols.
| Search Operator | Example |
| Use AND to retrieve results that contain both of your search terms. | empathy AND guilt |
| Use OR to retrieve results that contain any or all of your search terms. | Aboriginal OR Indigenous |
| Using NOT to exclude irrelevant results. | government NOT state |
| Combine terms with parentheses to create complex searches. | (Aboriginal OR Indigenous ) AND identity |
| Use quotation marks to search for a phrase | "collective guilt" |
| Search for terms with different word endings using an asterisk. | cultur* = culture, cultural |
| A question mark can be used to replace a single letter within a word. | analy?e = analyze, analyse |
In some databases, you can use a proximity operator to specify that your search terms must be close to – that is, within a certain number of words of – each other. This is broader than a phrase-search, and narrower than a keyword search.
The proximity operator is usually a letter or word, followed by a number. You can specify the number, and it will determine the number of words between your two search terms. The higher the number, the more results you will get, and the less relevant they might be.
In the EBSCOhost database the following search string "community benefits" N6 psychology will find the phrase community benefits within 6 words of psychology.
Proximity operators in the major database platforms:
where n is the number you nominate.
Charles Sturt University acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which its campuses are located, paying respect to Elders, both past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations Peoples.
Charles Sturt University is an Australian University, TEQSA Provider Identification: PRV12018. CRICOS Provider: 00005F.
