LibGuides: Applied Science (English): IEEE Xplore

Global Search

The simplest way to search IEEE Xplore is by entering one or more keywords into the search bar. The search engine scans metadata (title, abstract, author, journal title, etc.) and combines terms using AND by default.

→ Refine your search using boolean operators (AND / OR / NOT / NEAR / ONEAR).
→ You can also specify which specific fields IEEE Xplore should search in.

Search Techniques

Boolean Operators

AND	Both terms must appear in the results.
OR	At least one of the terms must appear.
NOT	Excludes results containing the term after NOT. Be aware: Use with caution. For example, "Parkinson" is both a disease and a common surname.
NEAR	Terms appear within 10 words of each other.
ONEAR	Terms appear within 10 words of each other in the same order. Tip: You can also specify the maximum distance between terms. → Example: *innovation NEAR/3 healthcare*

Quotation Marks and Wildcards

"..."	Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase, such as: "healthcare innovation"
*	The *asterisk ()** wildcard replaces any number of characters. Example: tech* finds: tech, technology, technologic, technical, etc.
?	The question mark wildcard replaces a single character. Example: nano?ube finds nanocube and nanotube, ...

Building Block Method

The Advanced Search screen allows you to search across multiple lines - ideal for applying the building block method.

→ Specify which search fields to search (e.g.: All Metadata, Full Text or Full Text & Metadata).
→ Use boolean operators: combine synonyms with OR within each block.

Step 1: Search IEEE Terms

IEEE Terms are standardized keywords. In the Advanced Search screen, select the field IEEE Terms and search for terms like: "sustainable development"

Step 2: Add Synonyms

In addition to IEEE Terms, use free-text keywords to broaden your search. Always combine synonyms with OR to avoid missing relevant results.

Step 3: Build Additional Blocks

Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each concept in your research question.

Step 4: Combine Your Blocks

(Only available when logged in to IEEE.) Go to Search History. This option is visible below the search bar after performing a search. Select the queries you want to combine and click the blue Search button.

Step 5: Refine Your Results

You can refine your results in two ways:

Use the filters on the left (year, publication type, author, ...)
Add extra keywords using Search within results

Step 6: Download Articles or Export References

Once your results are displayed:

Select relevant articles
Click Download PDFs or Export → RIS to export references to your reference manager.

Citation and Snowball Methods

Citation Method

Looking for more recent literature on the same topic?
Use the X Paper Citations button (top left of the article page) to find newer papers that cite the one you're viewing.

Snowball Method

Whether you used Global Search or Advanced Search, the snowball method is always useful. It involves checking the references in a paper to find related literature.

Open a result and scroll to Citations to view the sources used in that article.
Be aware: These are older by definition and may be less up-to-date.

Or go to Metrics and select Scopus to explore citation data.