Searching in APPsearch

APPsearch includes books, streaming media, and indexes over 50 databases.  The databases indexed cover a wide variety of disciplines and include articles (journals, magazines, newspapers), reports, documents, and more.

The below strategies can be used in APPsearch or any discipline-specific database.  Databases - browse by subject.

Basic Search

Background Information:

Search APPsearch, using a Basic Search, to find background information about your group in a book or an article.

• Try combining your group's name with terms like:  experience, history, background
• Use    "   "   around phrases.  "Chinese Americans"   "high school"   "higher education"  
• Searching is iterative.  Try terms, read results, learn new terminology, tweak search, repeat.

Use the Limits to refine results to a specific time period, type of resource (books, magazines, journals) and more.
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Representation in media:

You can start with a Basic Search to find material discussing the representation of your group in media.

• Include the concepts/keywords in your search.  Not a sentence ► How are Chinese Americans depicted in the media.
• Use Limits to refine the results to Peer-reviewed or scholarly materials.
   
• Will all resources describing this topic use the exact words you are using?   No. 
• Try an Advanced Search which allows you to use synonyms for your key concepts. This broadens your search.
   

Advanced Search

Search APPsearch, using an Advanced Search, to identify scholarly works. 

• Each concept has a separate search field.
• Use    or     to separate all synonyms. 
• Use    "    "   around real phrases.  "community college"   "media center"   "public library"
• Use     *    to allow for variable endings.  represent*  =   represent, represents, representing, representation

Use the Limit for Peer-reviewed to refine the results to only peer-reviewed/scholarly resources.  Remember the date Limit too.
 

The article you need is not available electronically?

• You may request it via ILLiad (our interlibrary loan system). 
• We will find it, scan it, and make it available to you electronically.