A proximity search searches for terms only where they appear within a certain number of words of each other.
The proximity operator varies according to the database. It is placed between the keywords/phrases in the same way as other combining operators. You can usually specify the number of words between the two terms.
In any EBSCOhost databases:
If you enter, in the search box: |
You will get: |
dementia N4 communication |
Results where the word dementia occurs within 4 words of the word communication |
patient* N3 assess* |
Results where patient OR patients occurs within 3 words of assess, assesses, assessing, assessment etc |
For more information, including the proximity operators for the main database platforms, see Using proximity operators.