This information is specifically written to provide information on searching AGRICOLA and Biological and Agricultural Index on the EBSCO Platform, although many of these techniques also work in Google. Other database platforms may have different proximity operators and truncation symbols. Some scholarly indexes can be searched using a system similar to Google: enter words to retrieve information on a topic. However, to search indexes such as Agricola and Biological and Agricultural Index a search strategy must be developed.
1. Identify key terms for your search - To identify the topics to search, write a 1-sentence description or question about the topic:
What are the impacts of global warming on agriculture?
What are the rules regarding growing genetically modified crops?
Identify the key terms in those questions. These are the terms that will be searched in the indexes:
What are the impacts of global warming on agriculture?
What are the rules regarding growing genetically modified crops?
What is known about soybean rust?
HINT: AGRICOLA and Biological and Agricultural Index have lists of terms that they use for their subject headings. The AGRICOLA Thesaurus is available online. In Biological and Agricultural Index the thesaurus is part of the search system and can be accessed from within the index.
2. Use quotation marks to search phrases - Some examples include concept terms or genus and species names (either of the disease or the name of an organism that causes a disease).
"soybean rust" "global warming" "genetically modified crops" "Phakopsora pachyrhizi"
3. Connect search terms using the words AND. AND finds terms anywhere in the record.
impact AND "global warming" AND agriculture rules AND "genetically modified crops"
4. Combine terms with similar meanings using OR. OR can be used to search terms with similar meanings, such as the common name and scientific name of a disease.
impact AND ("global warming" OR "climate change") AND agriculture
(rules OR regulations OR laws) AND "genetically modified crops"
("Soybean Rust" OR "Phakopsora pachyrhizi") AND Fungicides
5. Use Parentheses to group parts of a search together. Terms in parentheses will be searched before the rest of the terms in a search (see examples above)
6. To search various forms of a word, use Wildcards and Truncation symbols. The wildcards used in AGRICOLA are: ? # and *.
? - replaces a single character
impact? will find impact or impacts
wom?n will find woman or women
# - looks for alternate spellings
colo#r finds color or colour
* - serves as a truncation symbol to search for different forms of a word or a phrase that is missing a word.
agricultur* finds agriculture, agricultural
gene* finds gene, genes, genetic, genetically
environment* finds environment, environments, environmental, environmentally
7. Use NOT to eliminate items that might not be appropriate for your research. For example, it is possible to eliminate items that are written in a language you don't read by entering the language and then using the pull-down to specify the language.
8. Use the Find It Button to see if a journal article is available in the WIU Libraries. 
In GeoRef and some other WIU indexes, when search results are displayed, the button displayed above will be seen. By clicking on this button, it is possible to link to the full text of journal articles. If the journal is available through the WIU Libraries, you will be prompted to connect to the journal or directed to the print publication.
The Find It Button only works for journals. It does not work for government publications or reports (which are often used in geological research).
If the item is not a journal, search the title in WestCat to see if it is available. If the item is not available in the WIU Libraries, see if it is available in I-Share. If so, you can request it using the I-Share request system. If not, it can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.
HINT: AGRICOLA and Biological and Agricultural Index have lists of terms that they use for their subject headings. The AGRICOLA Thesaurus is available online. In Biological and Agricultural Index the thesaurus is part of the search system and can be accessed from within the index.