Mechanics of Keyword Searching

IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: Computers DO NOT understand language.

Computers are really mathematical machines. If you enter "america" into a database, the computer does not understand the concept, it merely looks for anytime the letters a-m-e-r-i-c-a show up in that order.

To get a computer to find things on your topic, you must translate your research question into a search strategy using recognized commands in a database. The commands will tell the computer what to do.

The following section will introduce you to the process of creating keyword searches. Once you have mastered these concepts, you can use them in virtually all databases.