- What's the difference between keyword-searching and phrase-searching?
- Keyword-searching = when you enter multiple words, your results will contain both or all words, but not necessarily together as a phrase.
- Phrase-searching = when you enter multiple words, your results will contain only that phrase.
- Most search tools default to keyword-searching. This includes Primo Search, EBSCOhost databases, and ProQuest databases (also Google and Google Scholar). Some databases, e.g. Ovid databases, default to phrase searching.
| KEYWORD SEARCHING [most common] |
| If you enter lung cancer ... |
... you will get lung AND cancer. |
| You must enter "lung cancer" ... |
... to get the specific phrase lung cancer. |
| |
| PHRASE SEARCHING [less common] |
| If you enter lung cancer ... |
... you will get the specific phrase lung cancer. |
| You must enter lung AND cancer ... |
... to get the keywords lung AND cancer. |
If in doubt, use double quotation marks if you want to search for a phrase.
