Russ Ewick Presents Triple T Searching the Net! Boolean Searches: More Than You Wanted to Know

Summer CTAP6 Operators: Or is or And = + Not = -

Summer CTAP6 + and - Operators like plus and minus are always place in front of the word they operate on. Example –Trees +evergreens +plants

Summer CTAP6 OR

Summer CTAP6 And

Summer CTAP6 The more terms or concepts we combine in a search with AND logic, the less records we will retrieve.

Summer CTAP6 Not

Summer CTAP6 Helpful Hints Using the operators Before you begin Keywords

Summer CTAP6 Using the Operators AND and NOT will always narrow your search OR broadens your search, increasing the number of hits

Summer CTAP6 Before You Begin Before you begin, think about what words you want to search. Develop a vocabulary that contains words describing your topic. If the computer finds nothing using one word, try doing the same search again but substitute a synonymous term.

Summer CTAP6 Keywords Decide which operators you want to use with which words for your search.

Summer CTAP6 The 3 Manifestations of Boolean Logic 1. Full Boolean logic with the use of logical operators 2. Implied Boolean logic with keyword searches 3. Predetermined language in a user fill- in template

Summer CTAP6 1. Full Boolean Logic with the use of logical operators Query: I'm interested in radiation, but not nuclear radiation. –Boolean logic: NOT Search: radiation NOT nuclear

Summer CTAP6 Another Example Query: I need information about cats. –Boolean logic: OR –Search: cats OR felines

Summer CTAP6 Here’s Another One Query: I'm interested in dyslexia in adults. –Boolean logic: AND Search: dyslexia AND adults

Summer CTAP6 2. Implied Boolean Logic with Keyword Searches Query: I'm interested in radiation, but not nuclear radiation. –Boolean logic: NOT –Search: radiation -nuclear

Summer CTAP6 More Implied Logic Query: I want to learn about cat behavior. –Boolean logic: OR, AND –Search: cats felines +behavior

Summer CTAP6 Another Example Query: I'm interested in dyslexia in adults. –Boolean logic: AND –Search: +dyslexia +adults

Summer CTAP6 3. Predetermined Language in a User Fill-In Template Query: I need information about cats –Boolean logic: OR –Search: Any of these words/Can contain the words/Should contain the words

Summer CTAP6 Another Example Query: I'm interested in dyslexia in adults. –Boolean logic: AND –Search: All of these words/Must contain the words

Summer CTAP6 One More Example Query: I'm interested in radiation, but not nuclear radiation. –Boolean logic: NOT –Search: Must not contain the words

Summer CTAP6 a final example Query: I want to learn about cat behavior. –Boolean logic: OR, AND –Search: Combine options as above if the template allows multiple search statements