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Advanced Search Strategies

A guide to learning search tools to conduct the best search string in multiple databases

Truncation

Truncation allows you to broaden your search by including alternative word endings and spellings. Most often asterisk (*) is the truncation symbol for databases and placed at the end of the root word. For example, music* would find articles that include music/musical/musician/musicians/musicality.

Wildcard

Wildcards allow you to broaden your search by including alternative spellings within a word. Each database uses different symbols, for example, wom?n searches women and woman. Another example is colo#r which searches color and colour.

Truncation/Wildcard Symbols for Each Database

Symbol Type PubMed OVID Cochrane Embase Web of Science EBSCOhost ProQuest Scopus Nexis Uni
Truncation music*

music*

music$

music*

music*

music$

music* music* music* music* music!
Wildcard wom*n

wom?n

wom#n

wom?n wom?n

wom$n

wom?n

wom#n

wom?n

wom?n

wom?n

wom*n