These search tips can be used in the Library Catalog or in the Library Databases:
1. Generate a set of terms, including synonyms, related to your topic:
communication anger rage patient-provider interactions physician patient relations verbal communication
2. Combine those terms with Boolean Operators (AND, OR) and other symbols for effective searching:
communi* AND (rage OR anger) : Use the AND operator to narrow your search to results that mention both keywords. Use the OR operator to search for variants or synonyms of the same keyword. The asterisk (*) is a wildcard symbol that is used to catch variant endings of a word. For example commun* retrieves communicate and communication.
“patient-provider interactions” OR "physician patient relations" : Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase.
MCPHS University Libraries are part of the Fenway Library Organization, which consists of several libraries interested in sharing resources. As a student, you can visit any of the libraries that are members of FLO in order to access resources for your research projects. Project Muse is one of the recommended databases for humanities research that you can access at nearby libraries. Contact Lua Gregory for questions about this.
The Boston Public Library is also a valuable resource for your research needs. Specifically, you can use JSTOR (scroll down to JSTOR), a database of full text peer-reviewed articles, with a BPL eCard. You can find even more resources if you visit the Boston Public Library in person.
