Basics of Information Seeking

You can use the Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT to combine search words into search strings:

	coping AND students AND operator tells the database that all your search words must be present in all of the search results. For example, if you use the search word coping, you will get results that contain the word coping. But if you combine search words students and coping with AND, your results will more likely deal with students’ coping. Use AND to narrow your search and you will get less results.
	"social media" OR facebook OR tells the database that any of the search words must be present in the search results. Use OR to broaden your search and get more results. You can use OR to search for synonyms or broader or narrower terms.
	fruit NOT apples NOT tells the database that the first search term must be included in the search results, but the second search word must not be present. Be careful with using NOT in searches, since it may easily exclude useful material from the results.

How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Operators (AND OR NOT) (Duration: 3:43, source: McMaster Libraries).

Quick searches using only one search word often bring many irrelevant search results, especially in large multi-disciplinary databases. To create more effective and precise searches, use Boolean operators and parentheses to combine the search words into a search string.

In a search string, you combine the search words representing the main concepts. For example, when searching for students’ well-being, the search string could look like below:

student*
AND
"well-being" OR wellbeing OR coping
 

Using Parentheses

In some databases you can enter search words and Boolean operators into the same search box. Use parentheses to change the performance order of the Boolean operations. In many databases Boolean AND is a stronger operation than OR, so that part of the search is performed first. By putting the OR operations in parentheses you can change the execution order.

• coping OR “well-being” AND student* – Database searches for information on coping, or information on the students’ well-being.
• (coping OR “well-being”) AND student* – Database searches for information on students’ coping, or on students’ well-being. Here the portion of the search that's in parenthesis will be executed first, and after that it will be connected with AND to the word student*.

Check the logical order of search operations from the database’s search instructions.

Databases offer various search screens. Usually you can find a simple basic search and an advanced search screen.

Basic Search

In basic search, you must add all search techniques, such as Boolean operators connecting your search words, into the search box. In many databases, basic search focuses on all words in the contents of the database.

Example, basic search of Ebook Central:

Advanced Search

Advanced search offers you more options to modify your search. Enter the search words into the search boxes and choose an appropriate search field to target your search from the field menus. You can usually select Boolean operators to connect your search words from a dropdown menu or you can write them between the words and phrases yourself.

Example, advanced search screen of EbscoHost's Academic Search Premier: