ASU Libraries

Search Strategies
Analyzing an assignment topic
Creating an initial search strategy
Brainstorming for keywords
Keyword searching
Keyword search tools
Boolean connector – AND
Boolean connector – OR
Boolean connector – NOT
Nesting
Truncation
Creating and using a search strategy

Keyword search tool: truncation

Function: Retrieves all variations of a root word in a single search, by using a special symbol to replace the word endings. This broadens the search. The truncation symbol is often a question mark ? or an asterisk *.

Keywords may have:
• different word endings but the same root
• singular and plural word forms
• spelling variations
• variations in tense

Take care to truncate keywords appropriately e.g. flow? will retrieve variations of the keywords flower and flow.

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