When searching databases, consider the following when entering your search terms:
1. Are there multiple terms that could be used for your topic? For example:
afterlife or hereafter
Islam or Muslim
gender or women
rituals or rites or ceremonies
vodou or voodoo
witchcraft or sorcery
medicine or healing or curing
2. Are there ways to "truncate" a term to pick up alternative spellings or singular/plural? For example:
shaman* for shaman, shamans, shamanism, shamanistic
buddh* for buddhism, buddhist, buddhists
sorcer* for sorcery, sorcerer, sorcerers
spirit* for spirit, spirits, spiritual, spirituality
mormon* for mormon, mormons, mormonism
wicca* for wicca, wiccan
witch* for witch, witches, witchcraft, witchhunt
Note: The most common truncation symbol used in databases is an asterisk *. The Online Catalog uses a question mark ?.
3. Use those additional terms and truncated words in your search statement. Examples of search statements:
shaman* and healing
shaman* and (healing or medicine or curing)
(hopi* or pueblo*) and witch* and heal*
buddh* and (gender or women)
(islam or muslim) and ritual*
shaman* and (ritual* or rite* or ceremon*)
(vodou or voodoo*) and (spirit* or sorcer*)
azande and (divination or witch*)
