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Research & Referencing

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Troubleshooting Your Search

Database searching often involves some trial and error - don't be discouraged if you don't find exactly what you're looking for the first time you search. You may need to try different combinations of keywords, fields etc. before you find the perfect article. The table below has some solutions for some common difficulties you may encounter during your research: 

Issue Resolution
Very few/no results
  • Use less search terms
  • Use different field limiters
Too many results
  • Use more search terms
  • Add/use different field limiters
Results aren't relevant or at an academic/professional standard
  • Select 'peer reviewed' option
  • Use more academic/professional language in search terms
  • Use quotation marks ("") if searching for a phrase
No results
  • Check spelling
  • Broaden search (Use 'OR' button, or reduce search terms search in full text of article instead of title/subject)