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Search Databases Like a Pro: Search using Truncation and Wildcards

Techniques to help you identify, develop, and locate relevant resources on your research topic

Truncation and Wildcard Symbols

Techniques that broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings.

Truncation

  • Aterisk (*) for searching word stems
  • example: allerg* returns allergic, allergies, etc...
  • genetic* returns genetic, genetics, genetically
  • child* returns child, childs, children

Wild cards

  • Question Mark (?) for replacing one letter in a word
  • example: m?n returns man and men
  • col?r returns color and colour

Lisle

Kindlon Hall
5700 College Rd.
Lisle, IL 60532
(630) 829-6050

Mesa

Gillett Hall
225 E. Main St.
Mesa, AZ 85201
(480) 878-7514