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Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies

Connecting to Primo

A screenshot of the Schaffer Library search box.

Click on the search box to go directly to Primo.

A screenshot of the Schaffer Library search box. This search box provides connections to library resources through Primo, databases, and journals.

What does Primo search?

Primo searches almost everything we have -- books, journal articles, conference proceedings, symposia, and more.

Access Primo from the library's website: https://www.union.edu/schaffer-library

 

Search Limitations

As you learn how to navigate Primo, Google Scholar, arXiv, SciFInder, and more, you will see their limitations. This is powerful as it helps you construct searches with a careful eye for what results you're getting.

Tips and Tricks

Boolean Searching

AND, OR, NOT -- provides the ability to narrow, broaden, or restrict 

What results would these searches provide?

  • nanotechnology AND cancer
  • nanotechnology OR cancer
  • nanotechnology NOT cancer

Special characters

* = asterisk = wildcard searching. Provides stemming. 
Example: nanotech* will find nanotech as an abbreviation, nanotechnology and nanotechnologies

" = double quotes = phrase searching. Provides specificity and proximity.
Example: "nanotechnology and protective clothing" will find this exact phrase in the literature
Compare: "nanotechnology and protective clothing" with nanotechology and protective clothing

Challenge Question: Scientific American 2007

How do you find the 2007 special issue of Scientific American, "The Rise of Nanotech"? 

Answer: very carefully

  • Go to Journals search (see "Journals" tab for more)
  • Search: Scientific American
  • Look carefully at the search results

This search illustrates interesting aspects of scholarly communication:

  • Titles of journals can vary, and specific editions and issues can be published under similar or different names.
  • Titles of specific editions or issues can vary over time.
  • Librarians keep track of all of this.

Useful links: