The purpose of this guide is to provide fast answers to frequently asked questions about composing queries for database searches. Questions like:

• What symbol does this database use for truncating search terms?
• How do I search for an exact phrase in this database?
• What Boolean operators are allowed?

Designed for quick consultation, each section is laid out as a simple table, written in a terse prose style, and formatted for easy printing (click "Print This Page" on the right of the screen). 

The guide is organized by interface. Sometimes, a database has its own interface (e.g. JSTOR), but more commonly a single interface provides access to multiple database titles.

For more information on finding newspapers in the library, please contact us in the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library:

History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library
246 Main Library
1408 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801

Website: https://www.library.illinois.edu/hpnl/
Email: hpnl@library.illinois.edu
Phone: 217-333-1509

Guide created by Geoffrey Ross, August 20, 2008. Last updated June 26, 2025.