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Humanities

OneSearch: Books

 

Tips on using OneSearch

  • Use OneSearch to find books, including ebooks. Stick with subject databases to find articles.
  • One exception: OneSearch works well when you have a citation to an article and need to know if we have it in full text.
  • Use the Advanced Search option for the most control over your search.
  • Two of the most helpful ways to "Tweak my results" are limiting by resource type (aka books) and publication date.
  • Expand your search by clicking the "Other Collections" radio button. You can request books from other CSU libraries and pick them up at the Circulation Desk.
  • Once you've found a book that looks interesting, click the "Cite" icon for the book's citation formatted in any style you choose.
  • Logging into "My account" allows you to save records for later or you can email them to yourself.

Advanced Search Strategies

  • Generate keywords to describe your topic, being mindful of synonyms.
  • Keep your search simple at first, using only a couple of words. Try different combinations of words.
  • Use quotes for phrases such as "new york" to keep the words together. 
  • Use the asterisk for truncation, so that photo* will bring up photographs, photographers, etc.
  • Limit your search by filters such as date of publication, language, or peer-reviewed articles.
  • If you find a source that seems directly on topic, look closely to see what words they use. These can be in the title, table of contents, subjects, or summary.
  • Try your search in different databases.