Boolean operators
Boolean operators are simple words (AND, OR, NOT or AND NOT) used to combine or exclude keywords in a search, resulting in more focused and productive results.
Example: Do you have a cat/dog?
Truncation
allows you to search for terms that could have more than one ending.
school* = school OR schools
Wildcard
allows you to substitute 0 or more letters in a word.
colo*r = colour OR color
Quotation Marks
in many databases allows you to search for words together as a phrase
"residential schools"
A full guide on truncation and wildcard use within library databases is available here.
How do we evaluate Japanese resources?
Gakushūin University Library has a one-pager describing trustworthy Japanese resources.
The process of evaluating each resource you use for research is universal, whether you are using English or Japanese resources. The following tools will further help you refine your skills for evaluation.