Phrase Searching:
When you're getting started with research on Jane Austen, a few smart search tricks can save you a lot of time. First, try thinking in terms of keywords rather than full questions. Instead of typing “What influenced Jane Austen’s writing?” use shorter phrases like “Jane Austen biography,” “Austen literary criticism,” “Regency literature,” “19th-century British novels,” or “Austen adaptations.” You can mix and match these terms depending on what you’re looking for.
Boolean Operators:
If you're finding it difficult to locate sources, such as when your search results are high or low in number, Boolean Operators are a great tool to use in conjunction with keywords. This consists of simply adding AND, OR and NOT along with keywords. Be sure to capitalize the entire Boolean Operator, because many databases and search engines require it to recognize them as commands, rather than regular search terms.
- AND: This operator can be used when you want to narrow your search and find all records containing the keywords you have entered.
- OR: This operator can be used to expand your search and find all records with either keyword you have entered.
- NOT: This operator can be used when you want to exclude a keyword from your search.
Examples: "Austen OR 'Regency literature'," "Austen AND adaptations," "Austen NOT 'literary criticism'"