Using the NDA Library Catalogue
Search the NDA library catalogue.
Search Tips
- Note that we generally don't use the word "disability" or "disabilities" as subject headings. However, if the item is about a specific type of disability, we will specify that.
For example:
PHYSICAL DISABILITIES will appear in the catalogue record for an item about physical disabilities specifically. - Phrases: Quotation marks around phrases will ensure the
words are searched as a phrase.
For example:
"built environment"
(If quotation marks are not used, the computer will also find records where the word built and the word environment are found separately from each other.) - Boolean searching: AND / OR / NOT in your search string will increase the relevance of results.
For example:
information AND accessibility
finds items with both the word information and the word accessibility in the catalogue record
intellectual OR learning
finds items with either the phrase intellectual disabilities or the learning disabilities in the catalogue record
rehabilitation NOT employment
finds items about subjects like physical rehabilitation but not vocational rehabilitation - Truncation: The asterisk (*) represents any group of characters, as well as no character.
For example:
human*
finds human, humans, humanity, humane, etc. - Wildcard: The question mark (?) represents any single character.
For example:
deinstitutionali?ation
finds both deinstitutionalisation and deinstutionalization - Develop your search by combining the types of searches used above.
For example:
information AND accessib*
finds items with the word information and the words accessibility or accessible in the catalogue record - Use “AND” “OR” or “NOT” in your search (Boolean searching) to increase the relevance of results. To use Boolean searching use UPPERCASE AND/OR/NOT in the search string.
For example:
“Tuberous AND sclerosis” will find article on tuberous sclerosis only.
“Tuberous OR sclerosis” will find articles on tuberous sclerosis or multiple sclerosis. - Truncation: the “*” sign will truncate a word or phrase. For example, if you enter huma* you will get the results human, humanity, humane etc.
- Wildcard: The “?” sign will replace one single letter. For example, “?one” will find bone, gone, cone etc.
If you do not find what you are looking for in our catalogue, please contact us for advice.
You can also search the Irish disability research database. This separate catalogue contains references to Irish-only disability research 1996-2005.
Items on the disability research database may be available from the library. You can search the catalogue to see if we hold the item.
Page last updated: 05/05/2011