FAQ: Where can I access, and how do I use, Explora?

Accessing Explora

You can access Explora This link opens in a new window by following these steps:

1. Select A-Z Database List on the library homepage under "Quick Links"
2. Choose "E" from the alphabet
3. Find "Explora" on the list of databases available there.

Using the Explora Database

Follow these steps to run a search, access full text resources, and get an auto-generated citation for an article or ebook chapter:

Basic Search

1. Type your keywords into the Explora search box.
2. Above the search results list is a navigation bar with options to narrow the results listed such as Filters, All time, Source Type 
3. From your search results, click on the title of an article or ebook chapter to see information about the resource and the full text.
4. Above the full text, there is a "Download" button where you can get the PDF, and a "Cite" button to get a full citation in APA, MLA, or Chicago Style.

Tile Search

1. Scroll down the main Explora page until you see the topic tiles.  Select a topic tile of interest.
2. A second set of tiles will appear narrowing the options for further detail to those related to the topic of interest.  In the top navigation bar there is an option to change from tiles to list view.  
3. Resulting suggestions will include topic overviews, articles, eBooks and more.
4. After selecting an article, the "Download" button and "Cite" button will be above the full text.

For More Help with Explora

Search Tips

On the main Explora search page, just underneath the end of the search bar, is the Advanced Search option.  This will help to bring up more specific results. When searching keywords use quotation marks around any important phrases and use Boolean searching, which connects the keywords using AND or OR. This can help provide you with more relevant results.

For example, if you are researching the health impacts of air pollution, you might try searches like these:

• "Air pollution"
• "Air pollution" AND (asthma OR health)
• "Air pollution" AND (asthma OR health) AND (cities OR urban areas)