Wildcards
Wildcards are used to substitute a symbol for a single letter (character) of a word. This is very useful for searching if the word has different spelling (American, British), or word forms. The wildcard symbol will vary for each database. You will need to check the help files of the database before you start searching to identify which symbol is used.
Commonly used symbols include |
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? |
# |
! |
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question
mark |
hash |
exclamation
mark |
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Search examples |
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| For differing spelling | For differing word forms | |
| colo?r = color, colour civili#ation = civilization, civilisation |
chlori?e = chlorine and
chloride wom!n = woman, women |
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Librarian's Tip
