The BASIC search is the default when accessing the ProQuest database. Enter your search terms or keywords in the search box. You can use different Search Strategies, like Boolean operators and double quotations.
This search box also allows for limitations on your results. Check the "Full Text" box to limit the results to articles that are available in full-text on the database. Check the "Peer Reviewed" box to limit the results to scholarly journals. To learn more about the difference between magazines and peer reviewed articles, see the Evaluating Articles section of the Library Tutorial.
Advanced Search
Another way of searching is to use the Advanced search option. This option allows for multiple search terms or keywords to be entered, without having to write the Boolean operators. It also has more options for limiting your search.
Once in the landing page of the database, click on Advanced up at the top.
1. Enter your first keyword
2. Choose where to search from the drop-down menu (for this example: Subjects All)
3. Choose your Boolean operator (for this example: AND)
4. Enter your second keyword (for this example: depression)
5. Choose where to search from the drop-down menu (for this example: Subjects All)
6. Set your limits (for this example: full-text)
7. Click Search
A list of citations of articles appears that match the specific search criteria that you entered. Results will be in chronological order with the most recently published article first. For this search the database returned 126 articles that contain the subjects African American AND depression and that are available in full-text.
To read a particular article in its entirety, click on the title (blue underlined link). Most articles will begin with an abstract. Read the abstract first for an initial indication of the content of the article and its usefulness for your project.
This is the article view. In this screen you can read the abstract and the full-text of the article. It also provides options for e-mailing, printing or saving the article. Bibliographic information can also be obtained from this screen.
For this example, indicated by the numbers:
1. Article title:Ethnic and Gender Disparities in Needed Adolescent Mental Health Care
2. Authors: John F. Thomas, Jeff R. Temple, Noe Perez and Richard Rupp
3. Publication name: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
4. Volume and issue number: volume 22, issue 1
5. Date of publication: February 2011
6. Pages: 101-110
Keep in mind that the bibliographic information provided here is not following any citation style. Refer to the style's rules and guidelines for the correct citation format.
One of the basic techniques for searching is using the Boolean Operators. Boolean searching is a symbolic logic system that creates relationships between concepts and words.
To learn more see the Search Strategies section of the Library Tutorial.