EBSCOhost Searching

Introduction

Welcome to EBSCOhost Searching! EBSCOhost provides a single entry point for you to search multiple databases at the same time. As you move through this tutorial, you will learn:

• How to access EBSCOhost
• How to select databases
• Some basic search strategies
• How to work with results

This is an interactive tutorial. Follow instructions in bold type to navigate the web pages on the right. Quiz questions are included to reinforce the content. 

Use the arrow below to go to the next section of the tutorial. 

Let's get started!

Accessing EBSCOhost

Take a look at the library's homepage on the right. The easiest way to get there is to click Library in the Quick Links menu on the Manchester University banner. 

To access EBSCOhost, click on Academic Search Complete in the Library Links menu on the left side of the screen. This multidisciplinary, full-text database is a good place to start your research. 

If you are on campus, you should see the EBSCOhost search screen. Notice that just above the search box, it says you are searching Academic Search Complete.

NOTE: If you are off campus, please log in with your MU username and password. 

 

Selecting Databases

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Academic Search Complete is just the beginning. You also have access through EBSCOhost to:

• Additional multidisciplinary databases
• eBook databases
• News databases
• Specialized subject databases

Including multiple databases in a single search saves time and increases the likelihood of finding useful sources for your assignment.

Let's take a look at what's available.

Click the Choose Databases link above the search box on the right.

Selecting Databases

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This list probably looks a little overwhelming, but don't be intimidated! The subject areas of some databases, such as Business Source Complete or Science Reference Center, are obvious.

For others, you can hover your cursor over the yellow note icon to the right of the database name and read a description.

 

Selecting Databases

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Place a check in the box next to:

• Academic Search Complete (already checked)
• Communication & Mass Media Complete and
• Professional Development Collection

Click the OK button to continue.

The EBSCOhost search screen defaults to a single search box. For the purposes of this tutorial, please look below the box and click Advanced Search.

NOTE: Which databases you check will depend on your topic. Take time to read some of the descriptions to find the best databases for your research needs.

You can also find recommended databases in the subject or course guides linked in your Canvas class under Library Resources.

Search Strategies

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Before starting your search, let's look at a few strategies that can help improve your results.

1. Determine Keywords

Describe your topic in one or two sentences. What are the main concepts? These are your keywords.

For instance, if you're interested in the relationship between students' use of Facebook and grades, the keywords would be:

• students
• Facebook
• grades

2. Brainstorm for synonyms

Sometimes there's more than one way to describe your topic. What are some synonyms, or "like" terms, for your keywords? Here are a couple examples:

• Facebook: social media
• grades: academic performance

Search Strategies

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3. Combine keywords with Boolean Operators for a more effective search.

Huh? Boolean Operators?

Don't worry, that's just a fancy name for combining keywords and synonyms using OR, AND, and NOT. 

Just remember:

• OR broadens your search, giving you more results
  Example: Facebook OR social media
   
• AND narrows your search to fewer results 
  Example: Facebook AND academic performance
   
• NOT excludes words from your search
  Example: social media NOT twitter 

 

Search Strategies

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Now that you have a better understanding of keywords, synonyms, and Boolean Operators, let's start searching!

Using the guide below, enter the following terms in the advanced search boxes in the database. Don't forget to select the correct Boolean Operator:

"academic performance" (AND)
 Facebook (OR) "social media"

NOTE: Use quotation marks to search phrases (two or more words).

When you've finished, the search screen should look like this:

Click Search. 

Working with Results

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Now that you have a list of results, let's see what you can do with them. On the left side of the page, look under Refine Results to see a variety of limiters you can apply. Two of the most common are:

FULL TEXT: This option will limit results to articles that are available to access immediately in the database.

Note: If you leave this box unchecked, articles that are not immediately available can be requested through interlibrary loan.

SCHOLARLY (PEER-REVIEWED) JOURNALS: Peer-reviewed articles are written and reviewed by experts in the field. Many professors will specify that you need to use peer-reviewed articles for research papers.

Place checks next to:

• Full Text
• Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals

Other popular limiters are publication date (type dates into the boxes or use your cursor on the slide), subject thesaurus term (controlled subjects), and subject (keywords).

When you have time, experiment with different limiters to see how they affect your results.

Working with Results

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Once you find an article that you want to use, several options are available.

Click the title of any article that displays the PDF Full Text icon.   

On the right side of the page, notice the column of icons. The image below points to the most frequently used options:

• Print
• Email
• Cite

For print and email, click the icon and follow the instructions. When you click on the cite icon, you'll see the full citation for the article in a variety of style formats.

Seriously? The full citation?

That's right! All the information is there for an easy copy/paste. However, there are occasional errors in formatting, so compare what you have with the requirements in your style guide.

 

Further Questions?

And that's how an EBSCO database search works! 

If you need to view a portion of this tutorial at a later date, use the  menu at the top of this screen to locate different chapters for review.

Have further questions?

Need help with your search?

Send us an email at librarians@manchester.edu. 

On the next page, please enter your full name to confirm that you have completed the tutorial.

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