Library:Library Research Skills For Biologists/Module 4/Module 4B SearchingForArticles/Page 07 VideoScript

SCRIPT 4B.07: Combining concepts in Zoological Record

SCRIPT 4B.07 Combining Concepts in Zoological Record This UBC Library tutorial introduces how we can combine concepts when searching in Zoological Record.

We will now build on our previous search. Remember in the last video, Keyword and Subject Searching in Zoological Record, we used subjects and keyword searching to find the best results.

We typed in the first search box the word balanus and selected subject descriptors to search for the word balanus only in the subject descriptors fields. When we search for our first concept: balanus we find over 2500 articles which are about the subject balanus.

So how do we combine concepts in Zoological Record?

[image of intersecting circles] What if we are looking for articles about the effect of light on balanus? We can use the Boolean operator AND. By using the Boolean operator AND, we will find articles about both balanus and light.

Now in Zoological Record, let’s use the Boolean operator AND to join the 2 concepts. In the second search box, we type the word: light. And select Topic, which is a keyword search. This is often broader than a subject search. And click on the search button. We found 101 results. Great! We can look at these articles.

Remember, the author may have used another term to describe a similar concept of light. We want to find those articles too! [Show image for Boolean OR]

So let’s also try some other terms which may be used to describe the concept of light, and join them together with the Boolean operator OR. To broaden our search we can use the Boolean operator OR to find synonyms for our concept. Back in Zoological Record, let’s type circadian OR diurnal. We’ll leave the search location as: Topic field sometimes called a Keyword search. And click on the search button. You’ll see by adding additional search terms joined with the Boolean operator OR, we retrieved more results. Now you know how to combine terms using AND & OR.

[Final Slide:] You can find more UBC Library videos at the UBC channel on YouTube. See the UBC Library Teaching and Learning playlist. Also, get more help from your subject librarian, by dropping by our library information desk or through chat reference at AskAway.