Library DIY

Strategies for locating content in languages other than English

1. Use search terms from the language of interest. Example: "women" or "femmes" (Special characters may or may not be detected in your search, so try the search with and without them. (Example: “El Niño” OR “El Nino”)
    
2. Search in English, but limit your results to a particular language. (In a database or in the BVU Library Catalog look for a "Language" search field or for other Language options.)
    
3. Many databases search only within the titles and English-translated abstracts of articles, rather than in the full text. So you may need to use key English terms in your search. For other databases, you will want to use search terms in multiple languages.

Change your preferred language to navigate a database

Many Library databases offer options for a foreign language interface to help you better navigate your search. Note that changing the language of the interface does not change the language of the content (book, article, video, etc.). A few examples are shown below: 

• EBSCOHost: Click on the Languages option in the upper right corner of the page.

• ProQuest Click the person icon in the upper right corner of the database page, then click English. Select your language from the resulting box. 

How to search

Search terms and keywords