Truncation is a technique used in keyword searching. It is a symbol added to the ROOT of a word. It tells the database to broaden your search to include various word endings and spellings. Truncation helps reduce the number of search term variations you have to type separately.
| This truncated word... | Will search for these terms in a database |
|---|---|
| elect* | election, elections, electoral, electorate, |
| econ* | economy, economics, economical, |
| hospital* | hospital, hospitals, hospitality, hospitalization, |
Librarian's Tip!
Some words are not well-suited for truncation and will retrieve much more than you bargained for! Make sure you insert the truncation symbol at the right place! If you are looking for variation for the word "Politics", do not use POLI* as the database will get articles on police, policing, etc.!
Complete this tutorial from Colorado State University Libraries and answer practice questions!
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Text: 240-654-1728 |
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