ProQuest databases

The Advanced Search screen is the best option for carrying out a thorough or more complex search.

Enter your search terms in the boxes at the top of the screen (the database will suggest terms as you start typing). You can choose to search in specific fields such as Author, Document title or Abstract. If you select Anywhere the database will search the whole text of articles, so you are likely to get a lot of results.

Use the plus button if you want to Add a row.

These additional options are also available on the Advanced Search screen:  

• Limit your search to results which include the full text.
• Limit your search to results which are peer reviewed.
• Limit by date.
• Select by Source type, eg books, newspapers, scholarly journals.
• Select by Document type, eg article, conference, essay.
• Select by Language.

You can also add these limits as a filter from the Results screen to refine your results.

Combine similar or related terms on a single search line using OR, for example "graphic novel*" OR "comic book*" OR "comic strip book*.

You can then add your terms for the second search concept to the row below, e.g. wom?n OR fem*.

ProQuest's search interface has a built in AND connector between rows (which can also be changed to OR or NOT if required). This builds a search of ("graphic novel*" OR "comic book*" OR "comic strip book*) AND (wom?n OR fem*).

To find out more about using truncation or wildcard symbols such as asterixes or question marks to broaden your search terms and building a search using the Boolean operators AND and OR, see our searching guide, or ProQuest's search tips page to learn which symbols ProQuest uses for truncation and wildcards.