Tutorials A-Z

EBSCO’s Academic Search Complete (ASC) database includes popular and scholarly articles on almost every subject. This is a great tool to use once you have some familiarity with your topic and are ready to search for specific information about it.

The tips shared on this guide work for all other EBSCO databases. 

• Change which EBSCO database(s) you search by selecting the database name and choosing additional options.

Tip: Use your keyword(s)

Perform your initial search with the one keyword (or keyword phrase) that describes your most important topic idea.

• Why just one keyword?

• We recommend as you start your research, start big and broad! Use your first few searches to test out how much information is available on your topic.

  • If you get lots of search results, add in a keyword for the second most important idea. Adding more keywords means you'll get fewer and more relevant search results.
  • If you get zero or very few search results with your one keyword, you know you haven't found the right word to search with yet, you misspelled something, or there is not a lot available on your topic.

• Why no quotation marks around a phrase?

• The short answer is because of artificial intelligence (AI). Academic Search Complete uses an AI-driven "Natural language searching" model (NLS) that searches for related keywords automatically. Quotation marks override the NLS model.

  • When you are first starting your research, using AI is effective for finding information if you are not sure how to best describe an idea or of what keywords to use. AI will expand your search and retrieve more search results for you.
    • In this example, Academic Search Complete is searching for the following terms: (climate change OR global warming) AND (anxiety OR worry OR concern)
  • As you get deeper into your research, use quotation marks when you have identified effective keywords about your topic or want to perform targeted and precise searches. Quotation marks tell search tools to find results containing keywords in the exact order as written, instead of searching for the words separately or substituting words.

Tip: Review your search results for better keywords

Skim article titles, abstracts, and subjects (highlighted with red arrows) listed in your search results.

  In this example, additional (and maybe better) keywords include climate despair and eco-anxiety.

• Why should I look for more keywords?

• To find the most relevant and useful results, you will want to perform multiple searches using different keywords. You will get back different results each time. This process is called "iterative searching." Good research is iterative, meaning it is a circular process where you repeat steps more than once and improve upon what you have done before. Changing up your keywords is part of this process.

• Why focus on the title, abstract, or subjects?

• • Titles and abstracts contain concise keywords that describe the most important topic ideas within the article. Authors choose those keywords and, as experts about their topic, are reliable sources for knowing how to describe a concept or idea.
  • Subjects are keywords added by authors or information specialists to describe what the article is about. When you choose a subject, you're guaranteed to get articles that are primarily about that keyword.

Tip: Add additional keywords into the search box - be strategic!

Find more relevant information by adding in keywords that target specific aspects of your topic.

• Why the quotation marks around a phrase now? "climate despair"

• For precision searching. Climate despair is a very specific phenomenon defined as viewing "global warming as a fundamentally unstoppable force that will ultimately render the Earth uninhabitable, believing that any change is too little, too late" (Columbia Climate School). I don't want Academic Search Complete to substitute in related keywords or phrases because they do not have quite the same meaning or context. Quotation marks restricts the database to finding results containing keywords in the exact order as written, which means the precise context I need is reflected in the search results.

Tip: Use database filters to improve your search results

After you perform a search, review the titles on the first page of results for topic relevancy. Based on what you see, apply database filters to improve the relevancy and credibility of your search results.

• Basic filters

• The toolbar above your search results features always-present quick filters.

  

  • All filters. This button serves two functions.
    • It opens up a collapsible All filters panel that lists all available database filters.
    • It shows you how many active filters you've applied to your search. EBSCO uses "sticky filters," meaning the filters you apply to one search remain persistent across all new searches. As you apply filters, the number updates on the All filters button.
  • Full Text. Filter results to articles with immediate full text.
  • Peer Reviewed. Filter results to items published in peer-reviewed journals.
  • All time. Filter to items published in the past year, past 5 years, or past 10 years.
  • Source type. Filter by publication type (journals, newspapers) and document type (editorials, literature reviews).

  Depending on your screen size, up to five (5) basic filters are displayed.
   

• All filters

• Access additional filters by selecting the All filters button. Filter options vary depending on which EBSCO database you are using. Generally-available filters include:

  • Publication Date. A more advanced date picker.
  • Subject: Thesaurus Term. Filter to items tagged with subjects (keywords applied by authors or subject specialists to accurately describe what the article is about).
  • Language. Filter to items written in or translated into a specific language.
     

• Clear filters

• • Remove filters one-at-a-time by opening the All filters panel and selecting the X next to the filter.
    
     
  • Clear all filters by opening the All filters panel and selecting the Clear All button, then the Apply button.
    

Tip: Get free full text from CCC Library

Free full text of EBSCO articles are available several ways, in several formats.

• Immediate access

• Most articles have full text available in PDF or Online full text formats.

  • PDF format is useful for printing, or downloading and saving.
  • Online full text format is useful for reading on a mobile device, using a screen reader, translating to another language, and listening to the article read aloud.

  
   

• Interlibrary Loan request

• Sometimes articles are not available in full text through EBSCO. When this happens, request the free full-text of an article using the Request this item through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) link. CCC Library will email you the article in 3-10 days.

  

Tip: Save time; get premade APA and MLA citations

Retrieve premade MLA9 and APA7 citations that you can copy and paste into your References or Works Cited list. Always check premade citations for formatting accuracy.

1. Open an article or eBook record.
2. Select the Cite tool icon to copy citation information for articles and eBooks (circled in red). 
3. Select a citation style from the Style drop-down menu.
4. Select the Copy to clipboard button.

The formatted citation is copied to your clipboard and ready to be pasted into your document.