The APUS library's databases are more powerful than search engines like Google. They can sort by relevance or date. They can be limited to full text or scholarly articles only. And they search the contents of articles and books that are not available freely to the general public.
But, library databases work a bit differently from most search engines, and they take some practice to master.
Here are some of the most common reasons that your database search didn't bring you the results you expected:
Avoid searching for long phrases or full citations. Long phrases or sentences contain so many words that the database may struggle to prioritize your results. Instead, type just a few words into the search box -- the main concepts from your research topic.
Choose keywords wisely. Databases look for the exact words and phrases you type in, so you'll want to be sure you're using widely-accepted terms to describe your topic. Learn how to pick the best keywords.
Check your spelling! Again, databases search for exactly what you type.
Leave out punctuation. If you're searching for a title or quotation, for example, remove any punctuation for best results. It may seem strange, but too many periods, commas, colons, etc. can confuse the database.
When you're searching for books, you may need to use broader keywords. Books tend to be written on broad subjects, though they may include chapters on specific topics. Once you've found a book on a broader version of your topic, search inside it for information about your more specific topic.
