Boolean Searching Transcript
Many online databases and web based search engines utilize Boolean logic to help you get the most from your searches.
Boolean logic is the use of standard terms, or operators to combine your keywords or search terms. You will find when using online databases or web based search engines that most of them are very similar in the way they use Boolean logic. However, since acceptable formats and symbols vary in some databases it is still very important that you read the product HELP screens on these products to use Boolean correctly for that particular product.
Boolean is powerful because it allow combined computer searches using either of these three operators; AND, OR, NOT. The operator determines how the computer will search the particular database. With
some databases, there are other operators that can be used, they are; ADJACENT,NEAR, & WITHIN.
Boolean is flexible because it uses keyword(s) searching strategies. The operators that you input tells the computer what you are looking for. It will either broaden your search or narrow it depending on
the operator used.
Boolean is versatile because it can be used with most of the electronic databases that are available in RIT Library. Databases such as Einstein, (the library’s catalog), FirstSearch, Dialog@Carl,IDEAL, CompendexWeb, to name just a few, and most of the other databases allow Boolean searching.
To get a better understanding of the Boolean operators I will give an explanation and example on how to use each of them.
(AND) = The computer will search for every record that contains all of the words in your search.
Example:race and Clinton. This will produce every record in the database that contain both the word race and the word Clinton.
(OR) = The computer will search for every record that mentions at least one of your search terms.
Example: Music or Videos, college or university. This search will produce records that contain either the word music or the word videos. In the second example records will be retrieved that contain either college or university.
(NOT) = Computer will search for and produce every record that mentions one word or phrase but not another.
Example: Rochester,N.Y.not Rochester,Minnesota.This search will result in records containing the phrase Rochester,New York but not Rochester,Minnesota.
(ADJ) = This search will result in records that have your terms adjacent to each other. The terms must be a phrase with no intervening words.
Example: Chocolate adj Candy. The result would be records that contain the phrase "chocolate candy".
(NEAR)=This operator is not used as often in most databases. What you will find instead is the operator "WITHIN". This term tells the computer to search for records that have the word within a set number from each other."NEAR" work much the same way.
Example: Star w/1 Wars.This will produce records that have the word"Star"within 1 word of "Wars".
"Star n/1"Wars"will also produce records that have the word"Star within 1 word of "Wars".
WILDCARD AND TRUNCATION:
Wildcard and truncation. simply means that you can search word variation by using a wildcard or truncation symbol with the word that you want to expand.
An * is usually the symbol used as a wildcard to expand words.
Example: wom*n would yield you woman, women, etc.
A "?, ! or #" are truncation symbols that will expand a word within a search.
Example: employ? Will yield employment, employer, employee,employed, etc.
Remember, Boolean searching can help greatly when you are using any of the electronic databases or when you are searching the web for research. Boolean can save you a lot of time if you use the operators
correctly.
Think about your search; what are you looking for? What are the best steps to take to find what you are looking for? When you begin your search consider what each of the operators will do;
"AND"/"NOT"/"ADJACENT"/"WITHIN" - will all narrow your search when you find too much.
"OR"-will broaden your search will broaden your search when you don’t find enough.
"WILDCARDS" AND "TRUNCATIONS" - will allow you to expand your words within the search.
Thank you and good luck with your research.
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