Guide
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Database Fields
What
are database fields?
Records
in library databases are comprised of fields containing
specific pieces of bibliographic information. Common fields in library databases include: author, title, journal
title, abstract, publisher, date/year of publication, subject/descriptor.
The sample record below shows the fields (bolded) on the left
and the information within those fields on the right:
How can database fields improve my search?
Limiting your search to specific database fields can yield more precise results. For instance, if you are looking for books by Adam Smith instead of about him, it is more efficient to limit your search to the author field.
How
can I search specific fields?
Most databases have
drop down boxes or menus to select the field you want to search.
You can then combine words and fields together with boolean
or proximity operators, depending on
how precise you want to be.
What
if I don't select a specific field in my search?
If you do not choose a specific field the database usually reverts to a keyword
search, where your words will be searched throughout the record. If your keyword search retrieves too many records (more
than 50), try narrowing your search to retrieve a more manageable result. Information
overload - too many results - can be a worse situation than finding
only 10 very relevant results.
Need
help understanding fields? Ask
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