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Library Search for Arts, Design and Architecture Research

a concise guide to searching arts, design and architecture research databases

Database Fields Search

Database Fields Search:

Records in library databases contain  fields containing specific pieces of bibliographic information. Common fields include:

  • author
  • title
  • journal title
  • abstract
  • publisher
  • date/year of publication
  • subject/descriptor
 

How database fields improve your 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.

 

  • To find various fields within a database, look for drop down boxes or menus to select the field you want to search.

 

  • Then combine words and fields together with boolean or proximity operators, depending on how precise you want to be.

Generic Example:

 

 

 

  • 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 Us!

 

Example of fields in a generic record:

The record belows shows the field names on the left: Author, Title, Source, Standard No., Details, Language, Abstract, Descriptor

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.