Advanced Search Strategies

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.

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.

Please note that some databases will only allow you to use a truncation or wildcard symbol after a certain number of letters in a word.  For example, PubMed will only let you use a truncation or wildcard symbol after four or more letters.