The screenshot below shows an example of an advanced search in Novanet using Boolean operators and modifiers. Genetic* – will search genetic, genetics, genetically Instructs the database to broaden your search to include multiple endings and spellings of a word.
Instructs the database to search for a whole phrase keeps separate words together and in order. Instructs the database to exclude results that contain a specific search term or terms.
Whenever you join keywords with OR, enclose them with parentheses (). For example, travel and Europe finds articles that contain both travel. And combines search terms so that each search result contains all of the terms. You can use these operators to create a very broad or very narrow search. The Boolean search operators are and, or and not. Instructs the database to bring back search results that contain either or both search terms. Boolean logic defines logical relationships between terms in a search. Instructs the database to bring back results that only contain both search terms. to produce a more complicated search query. While most searches are done by entering a keyword and waiting for the result (in Google, YouTube, social listening tools, etc.), Boolean search allows entering keywords combined with Boolean operators such as AND, NOT, AND NOT, etc. Boolean Operators and Their Functions Operator/Modifier What is Boolean search Boolean search is a manual type of search (as opposed to a wizard) used in search engines. The chart below briefly explains these tools and their functions. Below is a list of commonly used terms: Example: I am looking for Software Engineer candidates. Ex: (product manager AND mobile) AND (agile. Commas and spaces are an implied 'OR', if entered in the Position, or Company.) Weight terms: + a number, used in relation to other terms to weight keywords. The three basic Boolean operators are AND, OR, and NOT.Īll library databases will understand Boolean operators. Boolean Operators: Boolean operators are simple words (AND,OR, NOT, or AND NOT) used as conjunctions to combine or exclude keywords in a search, resulting in more focused and productive results. Boolean String Searching on Entelo: Operators: AND, OR, +, -, NOT (commas and spaces are an implied 'AND', if entered in the search box. The basic Boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT. Boolean searching uses three 'operators' to combine your keywords into a more powerful and direct searches. It uses tools called operators or modifiers to limit, expand, or refine your set of results. Boolean searching is the most powerful way of searching a computer and may be used in many of the library's electronic databases, the Internet (Google) as well as the Library Catalog. Boolean Search Operators What is a Boolean Search?īoolean searching is the most effective “advanced” search technique to improve your search results by making them more relevant and precise.