LibGuides Best Practices: VU Library Search

Tips, suggestions, templates, and best practices for creating a LibGuide.

The Library Search

Vanderbilt University Library Search

Selecting the best search scope for your research needs:

Everything vs. Library Catalog vs. Articles

Search Scope	What is included?	When should I use it?
Everything	Broadest search scope Results will include books and ebooks, articles, and media like DVDs	A great option when you are just beginning your research process. Use Everything when you want to survey the research landscape for your topic
Library Catalog	Focuses on VU owned items, physical and digital Results will include books and ebooks, and media like DVDs Digital collections like the TV News Archive will also be included in your results	You have defined your information needs Use Library Catalog when you are ready to create a tailored search for your topic
Articles	Content from selected VU databases Popular and scholarly articles	Use Articles to find popular and scholarly articles on your topic. The Articles scope does not search across all databases accessible to the Vanderbilt community. Not finding the articles you need or want more database options? Consult the Database A-Z

For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?

Last Updated: Mar 18, 2024 1:07 PM
URL: https://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/bestpractices
Print Page

Creative Commons License

VU Libraries ResearchGuides is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. You may republish or adapt this guide for educational purposes, as long as proper credit is given. Our recommended credit includes the statement: Written by, or adapted from, Vanderbilt University Libraries (current as of .....). If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.