Library: UP WorldCat Searching Tips

Use the tips suggested below to improve your searches in UP WorldCat:

Advanced Search

For more precise searching, use the Advanced Search screen. Use Advanced Search to:

• Search by Title or Author
• Limit your search by Format (Book, DVD, CD, etc.)
• Limit your search by Year
• Limit your Search by Language

Searching default:  Keyword

UP WorldCat automatically searches for all of your words as keywords
Example:  artificial intelligence is searched as: artificial AND intelligence

After your search, use the Refine Your Search column on the left side of the screen to limit your search by:

• Author
• Format (Article, Book, etc.)
• Year
• Language
• Topic
• and more

Title Searching Tips

Use Advanced Search to limit your search to keywords in the title

Include the Author's last name as a search term

Boolean:   +, OR, -

AND	Use AND or + AND is assumed between search terms AND must be uppercase	global warming global AND warming global + warming
OR	Use OR OR must be uppercase	habitat OR environment
NOT	Use NOT or - Excludes terms from your search NOT must be uppercase	Portland NOT Maine Portland - Maine

Truncation:

#	Use for one character	wom#n finds women, woman
*	Use for multiple characters Use a minimum of 3 characters before *	habit* finds habit, habitat, habitable...
?	Replaces up to a specified number of additional characters	fine?2 finds fine, finer, finest

Phrase searching: " "

Example: "artificial intelligence"

Nesting: ( )

For more complicated searches involving multiple synonyms, use parentheses ( ) to surround alternate terms you are combining with OR.

Example: polar bear* AND (environment* OR habitat*)

Proximity:  NEAR

Example: Claude NEAR Monet finds Claude immediately before or after Monet