ALL online resources are databases, which are electronic indices. This is true of internet browsers, online library catalogs and archives, secondary (article, book, periodical) and primary source databases, etc. Databases are made up of records, which are composed of fields: Author, Title, Publisher/Provider, Abstracts or Tables of Contents, Subject Headings or Descriptors, etc. Thus, the terms (keywords) that you use to search for information in online databases match up with the terms used in these fields in the database. Because of this, if you aren't finding useful results, you need to try different terms.
Also remember, that your initial keyword search in any resource will point you to some but not all resources. It is important that you do follow-up searching with the relevant descriptors/subject headings or for works by the same author, etc.
UC Library Search is the first stop for finding books, journals, documents, maps and all other material located physically in the UC San Diego libraries, as well as online resources purchased for your use.
You can use the same catalog to find materials at other UC libraries and Worldcat, which searches libraries worldwide. Requests from other libraries can take up to three weeks to arrive, so start your research early!
Bonus search tip: Having trouble finding relevant books using the online catalog? You can search the full text of many books using Google Books to identify books of possible interest, then do a title search in the library catalogs to determine if we have access.
Circuit is a shared library catalog that searches the holdings of all San Diego university libraries and the San Diego City/County Public Libraries.
If a book you need is already checked out at UC San Diego, or if or we don't own a book that you need, check in Circuit. If it’s available at another San Diego Circuit library, it can be delivered to UC San Diego in 1-3 days.
Boolean operators should be in ALL CAPS
There are two wildcard symbols and either/both can be inserted anywhere and in more than one place in the search:
? adds 1 character in the space indicated
* adds multiple characters
Although it also points to print resources, as database comprised of bibliographic essays with annotated bibliographies, this is an excellent online reference tool to help student (and researchers) get up to speed on particular bodies of literature and identify key works -- including online materials:
Oxford Bibliographies: Anthropology 
UC Library Search, accessible from the search box on the library's homepage, helps you locate books, film, music, maps, and various other materials at the UC San Diego Library and beyond. It also contains a limited number of online journal and newspaper articles. You may search by keyword, title, and author, and filter your search to what is available online. You can also place an interlibrary loan request through UC Library Search for materials at other UC campuses or libraries worldwide using your Single Sign-On credentials.
UC Library Search does not include all the content to which the Library subscribes. To extend your search, try a database. The database you use depends on the topic or subject you have chosen and the type of information you need to access. You may choose among broad subject areas (e.g., biology, art, political science, etc.), as well as interdisciplinary databases or ones that search across multiple disciplines.
