Step by step Searching Instructions on Omni
1. Identify the main concepts of your research topic and brainstorm possible keywords. Create a list.
2. Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to combine concepts and enhance your search. They must be in capital letters to be recognized by Omni. Using AND narrows a search and using OR to connect synonyms expands a search. Using NOT excludes a specific word. Here are a few sample searches:
- history AND drought*
- (climate OR weather OR environment*) AND "human settlement"
- "climate change" AND history
- "environmental history" AND anthropocene
- "case studies" AND climat* change
3. Make sure to enclose your search for phrases with quotation marks. Example: "climate change"
4. Use the truncation (or stemming, wildcarding) technique to broaden your search. The asterisk * at the end of a root word will search various word endings. Example: environment* = environments, environmental, environmentalist, environmentalism
5. Begin searching for material with the library's main search box, Omni to find journal articles, books and other sources on your topic. Remember to filter each new search by content type.
6. Here are the filters to use on Omni for finding peer reviewed journals:
- Peer reviewed journals
- Articles
- Subject (optional)
