When searching databases or the Online Catalog, consider the following when entering your keyword search terms:
1. Pick your topic and keywords that describe your topic:
evolution of human diet
food production and gender roles
african american foodways
food insecurity in prehistory
2. Are there multiple terms that could be used for your topic?
food or eating
archaeology or prehistory or antiquities
anthropology or culture
farming or agriculture
customs or traditions|
3. Are there ways to "truncate" a term to pick up alternative spellings or singular/plural?
anthropolog* for anthropology or anthropological
prehistor* for prehistory or prehistoric
cultur* for culture or cultural or cultures
diet* for diet or diets or dietary
ethnograph* for ethnography, ethnographies, ethnographic
food* for food, foods, foodways
Note: The most common truncation symbol used in databases is an asterisk *. The Online Catalog
uses a question mark ?.
3. Use combinations of terms and truncated words when searching the databases
rice and origin*
native american* and food*
food* and (anthropolog* or cultur*)
cereal* and (domestication or agricultur*)
food and (security or insecurity)
foodways and (ancient or prehistor* or archaeolog* or antiquit*)
