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and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
This guide includes links to databases and other relevant information.
Unknown Artist. Copper alloy sceptre with horse-riding figure of a king or high-ranking noble of Ife. Ca. 1200-1300.. British Institute of Persian Studies, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_art#/media/File:Ife_copper_sculpture_with_cavalier_figure.jpg. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
When searching the library research databases or the library discovery tool SearchCat, it's good to have a strategy. Unlike Google or Internet search engines, the databases and SearchCat can't interpret natural language or strings of unconnected words. You should identify the key concepts in your thesis or research question and then brainstorm for a few alternative terms and synonyms that go along with them. Then you can connect and combine those terms in different ways using Boolean (see video in box below).
For example, what if you were researching the topic:
Yoruba art and symbolism
The key concepts are obviously the words I underlined:
| Yoruba art | symbolism |
It's good to have a few synonyms and related terms for your key concepts. They may also be helpful in your search!
| Yoruba art: | symbolism: |
| Yoruban art, Nigerian art | symbols, figures, ornamentation, myth, etc. |
Now I can develop either a basic search statement:
Yoruba art AND symbolism
Or a more advanced search statement with some flexibility:
(Yoruba art OR Nigerian art) AND symbol*
Find out why I combined terms with AND and OR in the video below (capitalization and bold type just for emphasis)!
This video from the University of Auckland Libraries in Australia explains Boolean operators very well, and shows how they work in library catalogs, databases, and even Advanced Google.
