Every document described by AgeLine focuses in some way on aging-related issues, which means that typically it is not necessary to include aging-related words such as aged, seniors, elderly, or geriatric in your search query.
Virtually all of the items in AgeLine are indexed with the keyword Older Adults to facilitate those searching several databases at once through one of AgeLine's database distributors. A searcher querying several databases, who needs to include concepts such as Older Adults and Elderly, will retrieve appropriate items in AgeLine as well as in non-aging-focused databases. Unless you are conducting a search of several databases simultaneously, it is usually better when searching AgeLine to focus on the non-aging part of your search topic and avoid including one or more synonyms for the older population.
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Example
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If you were looking for material on vitamin requirements in older adults, a good search query would be simply vitamin requirements. The material you retrieved would be focused on the older adult population without your having to search using an aging-related term. |
Words Describing the Older Population
That Are Ignored in AgeLine Searches
With AgeLine's aging focus in mind, we have structured the search screens on this web site so that certain words related to the older population are ignored. In the Basic Search box, the Advanced Search boxes, and the Any Word Search box on the Multiple-Options Search screen, the following words are ignored and will not retrieve any items unless you include the words in a phrase with other search concepts:
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older, elderly (but not elder),
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aged (but not aging),
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adults (but not adult),
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senior, seniors
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These aging-related words are not ignored in the Title, Journal Title, Author, and Subject Search boxes on the Multiple-Options and Advanced Subject Search screens.
The Word Aging Is Not Ignored
Some concepts--such as Successful Aging, Biological Aging, Attitudes Toward Aging, Knowledge of Aging, and Theories of Aging--need the word aging to retrieve appropriate results. For that reason, aging is not a stop word in any of the search screens and will retrieve relevant records when used in phrases such as these.
Finding Research and Information on Specific Age Groups
AgeLine includes many documents focusing on specific age groups and indexes the records with appropriate age group keywords (for example, Young Adults, Middle Aged, 65+, Young Old, and Old Old). If you are looking for research or information on specific age groups or age-group comparisons, refer to the Search Help topic How Can I Find Information on Specific Age Groups?
Help Topics
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Policy & Research