Boolean Searching Class

Let’s watch a video that explains the Boolean operators AND and OR

Let’s review Boolean Operator + / AND Using AND narrows a search by combining terms; it will retrieve documents that use both the search terms you specify. Using + / AND narrows a search by combining terms; it will retrieve documents that use both the search terms you specify.

Example of + / AND Suppose you were looking for information on Portland, Oregon but kept finding things on Portland, Maine you could search for Portland +Oregon or Portland AND Oregon and get only the results you want!

Let’s Move for + / AND Everyone raise your hand who is wearing jeans. How many? ___ Please lower your hands Everyone raise your hand who is a girl. How many? ____ Please lower your hands Everyone raise your hand who is a girl AND is wearing jeans. How many? __ Please lower your hands Adding AND gives you fewer results!

Using + / AND Poverty +Crime

Boolean Operators do not act like numbers when we use + / AND When we add numbers we increase the results: = 4 When we put words together with + / AND for a search we narrow the search and get fewer results.

The Coat Story If I am an average size person and I go shopping for a winter coat that fits how many stores could I find one in? What if it has to fit AND it has to be red? What if it has to fit AND be red AND have a zipper? The more words I put in with AND the fewer stores will have the coat but the ones that do will have exactly the coat I want. I don’t have to waste time going to stores that don’t have a coat with all the features I need.

Let’s Review Boolean Operator OR In this search, we will retrieve records in which AT LEAST ONE of the search terms is present. Using OR makes the search results larger. The more terms you add the more it will search for. Usually you use OR with synonyms (words that mean the same thing).

Boolean Operator OR Examples: pants OR trousers ocean OR sea Using OR broadens your search and gives you more results.

Let’s Move for OR Everyone raise your hand who is wearing jeans. How many? ___ Please lower your hands. Everyone raise your hand who is a girl. How many? ___ Please lower your hands. Everyone raise your hand who is wearing jeans OR is a girl. How many? ___ Please lower your hands. Using OR gives you more responses!

Using OR College OR University

Boolean Operator = - / NOT (sometimes this will be BUT NOT or AND NOT) In this type of search, we retrieve records in which ONLY ONE of the terms is present. It is a way to narrow a search to get fewer results. If you want only information on the planet Saturn but are also getting information on the car you would want to search for Saturn –car or Saturn NOT car. You can eliminate the keyword you don’t want by using - / NOT and get the results you want

Everyone raise your hand who is wearing jeans. How many ___ Please lower your hands Everyone raise your hand who is a girl. How many ___ Please lower your hands Everyone raise your hand who is a girl and is NOT wearing jeans. How many ____ Please lower your hands Using - / NOT gives you fewer responses!

- / NOT/ AND NOT / BUT NOT cats -dogs

Boolean Operators are like numbers when we use - / NOT Order is important = = -1 If we look for books by Gary Paulsen that are not about dogs we search for Gary Paulsen –dogs What do we get if we search for books about dogs –Gary Paulsen?

Searching by Field/Boolean Operators + / AND combines keywords and makes your search narrower = fewer results OR searches for either keyword and makes your search broader = more results - / NOT / AND NOT / BUT NOT gets rid of keywords you don’t want and makes your search narrower = fewer results

CLASS MISSION: Lets create a search where only one student will stand up using at least one Boolean Operator: + / AND, - / NOT/ AND NOT/ BUT NOT, OR!