8.1: Searching Fields

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A database record usually contains different “fields” of information that describe the resource it has indexed. Learning to search within specific fields can help you pinpoint the kind of information are seeking.

Fields might include:

Author
Publication
Date of publication
Keywords used (in a directory)
Type of material

When you are searching in a structured commercial database like Academic Search Premier you’ll have a large selection of fields to search – here are some of them:

TX All Text
AU Author
TI Title
SU Subject Terms
AB Abstract or Author-Supplied Abstract
KW Author-Supplied Keywords
GE Geographic Terms
PE People
CO Company Entity
IC NAICS Code or Description
SO Journal Name

These fields can be used to develop very specific search equations.

Using the “advanced search” feature on most web-based search engines offers the opportunity to specifiy the field in which you want your term to appear. Google’s advance search, for example, lets your search for terms within certain kinds of top-level domains (.edu or .gov, for example) or for specific types of files (.pdf or .xls) Searching within fields allows the savvy searcher to construct a very specific search.