For a much more comprehensive look at Omni, please consult the library's Omni Search Tips guide.
Omni is the library's academic search tool that enables you to search for books, journals, articles, videos and much more, all from one interface.
The default search in Omni is basic search. Enter one or more keywords into the Omni search box, choose the scope you wish to search (please note, if you are starting your search from the library homepage, the scope is automatically set to search Queen's + Omni Libraries (this can be adjusted once you've executed a search), then click the search button.
Basic search supports the use of Boolean operators: AND, OR or NOT, and they must be entered in uppercase. For example: guidelines OR protocols.
To search for a specific phrase, type quotation marks around the phrase, otherwise AND is assumed between each word. For example: "humanitarian crisis".
Once you have your initial search results, you can fine-tune them by using the filters on the left side of the screen.
Use the advanced search option for more precise searching. Using the drop-down options within the Advanced Search screen you can limit your search to specific fields and/or a combination of fields (Author, Title, Subject, Call number). You can also specify that your search words must be contained in the search field ("contains", "starts with" or "is (exact)."
Specific dates and languages can be selected. Resource type will limit your search to a specific format or material type, such as book or ebooks.
| Use AND to tell the database that ALL search terms must be present in results. Narrows your search results | Gender AND disasters |
| Use OR between words for synonyms. Broadens your search results | teenagers OR youth OR adolescents |
| Use NOT to exclude terms | exercise NOT fitness |
| Use quotation marks around phrases | “Humanitarian crisis” |
| ? for single character wildcard (useful for variable spellings) | wom?n for woman, women |
| * for truncation (multiple character wildcard). Useful for variant endings of a root word. | Refugee* for refugee, refugees |
| Brackets to group terms (nested searching) | ("mental health" OR depression OR PTSD) AND “natural disasters” |
In the right hand corner of Omni, you will see the option to sign in.
Signing into Omni will help optimize your search, and you will have access to special features, such as saving your favourite results. From your Favourites, you can label and collate personal collections and export citations to a citation manager.
Apply filters to fine-tune your search results. Filters are located on the left hand side of the Omni search page, after you have performed a search.
To select a filter, move your mouse to the left of the filter you wish to select and a check box will appear. You can then select it (or deselect it by moving your mouse to the right hand side of the filter). After selecting a filter, be sure to click the "Apply Filters" button to activate the filter.
Omni offers a number of useful tools that you can use to organize, save, and cite your research. Log into Omni to get the maximum use out of tools.
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Citation icon | Select one of ten different citation styles and generate a citation to the item. Be sure to check citations for accuracy |
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Envelope icon | Email a record to the item |
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Pushpin icon | Save this item to your list of favourites in Omni |
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Citation trails | Lead to sources that cite the work or to references cited in the item |
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Ellipsis icon | Shows action options including citation, email, permalink, export to citation managers and print record |