Try specific terms first, then try more general ones.
- Specific terms (Northern Flicker or Colaptes auratus) give fewer but more precise results
- General terms (like birds or woodpeckers) give more results, but are less precise
Precision gives fewer items (or none!), and you may miss books that might have a chapter on what you want to learn about.
Use both scientific and common names for organisms, connected with or, as above.
Try using truncation (forest* will find forest, forests and forestry) and variant spellings so you won't miss important titles.
See the box above for other Search Tips.
