Operator and Punctuation Hints:

• Enclose phrases like "proton pump inhibitor" in double quotation marks.
• Truncate words with multiple useful endings using asterisks. For example "proton pump inhibitor*" will retrieve the phrases "proton pump inhibitor" and "proton pump inhibitors". (Note: Only words, not phrases, can be truncated in PubMed and many other databases.)
• Combine terms that express a single concept using OR. In other words, use OR to join two terms if you want to retrieve IPA records with either the first search term OR the second search term in the titles, abstracts or descriptors.
• Combine terms that express different concepts with AND. In other words, use AND when you want to retrieve IPA records which contain both the first term AND the second term in the titles, abstracts or descriptors.
• Enclose a group of terms in parentheses () or in a separate search box when the terms represent a single concept. For example, when searching for articles on the best treatment for dog or cat, bites and scratches, one must either place the animal terms and the injury terms in separate parentheses or in separate search boxes -- e.g.(dog* OR cat* OR pet*) AND (bite* OR scratch* OR injur*). The EBSCO IPA database provides three separate search boxes, so parentheses are only essential when more than 3 concepts must be represented. However, it is important to remember that some databases utilize a single search box, making frequent use of parentheses necessary.

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