College freshmen are expected to understand and use databases and search techniques properly.
Every database and search engine uses Boolean operators. Here is how you use the 3 operators.
http://www.seriouslyconnected.co.uk/blog/boolean-helpful-tips-and-tools/
In your search query, when you use...:
AND - All the search terms must appear in the results entries
It's become the norm to use the implicit "and". This means that you do not have to write [and] as it is assumed you want all the words written in your query.
[cognition nutrition] means you're looking for both cognition and nutrition in your results.
OR - Either one of both terms will be searched
You must write the words as is, in small letters.
["global warming"] OR ["climate change"]
NOT - Excludes a term you don't want in your results
You must write the word as is, in small letters.
[depression NOT treatments]
Use of parentheses ( ) (in databases only, not with Google)
Most engines will execute your search query from left to right. The order of the operators in your query is important as the order of execution will be led by the AND operator, then by the OR operator and finally by the NOT operator. To control the execution of your query, use (parenthesis) to group search terms.
The engine will first execute the operation within parenthesis then perform the other operations of your query in order. Databases will almost always allow you to use full boolean searching, including the use of parenthesis and other symbols.
E.g.,
jungle and (cats or felines)
(cats or dogs) and (contest or show)
((mouse OR rat) AND trap) OR mousetrap
Truncation (* in EBSCO)
(also called stem searching)
To truncate means "to cut". Databases allow you to search for variations of a word by "cutting" the word down to its root or stem then by adding a symbol to replace all the possible combinations.
Databases may use different truncation symbols and EBSCO uses the asterix * symbol (the star).
E.g.,
[comp*] will retrieve computer, computers, computerized, computing, etc.
[adolescen*] will retrieve adolescent, adolescents, adolescence
Wildcard (? or # in EBSCO)
. The wildcard symbol is used to replace one character within a search word. E.g., [ne?t] will retrieve neat, nest, next. Different databases may use different symbols. heck the help section of the database to find out what symbol it uses.
Proximity operators expand your searches (in databases only, not with Google)
N (near) and W (within) are used to search terms that are in proximity to each other. Check if and how your search engine supports proximity searches.
E.g., N5 means you want to search the search terms within 5 words of each other > [tax N5 reform] will retrieve tax reform and reform of income tax
E.g., W8 means you want to search the terms within 8 words of each other and in that order > [tax W8 reform] reform will retrieve tax reform but not reform of income tax
This short tutorial from the University of Massachusetts in Boston is a good introduction to Boolean operators.
AND
AND links different concepts together.
The operator AND narrows your results, i.e., if you search for [cats and dogs] both terms must appear within the document or page.
Examples:
[olympics and fraud], [abortion and history and france], ["global migration" and "local economy"]
NOTE: All search engines use implicit AND which means that you don't have to write the word [and] in your search, they assume that's what you mean. E.g., [food health]
OR
OR links similar concepts together.
The operator OR will expand your results. If your query is [cats or dogs] that means that either one of the terms or both terms must be in the document or page.
Examples:
[fraud or corruption], [teenagers or adolescents], [house or habitat or home or accomodation]
NOTE: In Google you must capitalize OR or it will not be recognized as an operator. E.g., [teenagers OR adolescents]
NOT
The operator NOT excludes a word from the results. E.g., [vikings not football] will retrieve everything about the vikings (the big, tough guys) and not the football team.
Examples:
["government intervention" not europe], ["eating disorders" not anorexia]
NOTE: Google uses the minus sign [-] attached to the word or phrase to be excluded. E.g., [vikings -football].
Here are some examples on how you can use the Boolean operators in the same query.
Parenthesis can be used to separate search elements in a query. However, Google does not use parenthesis, you have to write the correct syntax using OR.
Note: Google does not use [and], it is implicit when you write words separated by a space. The space means [and]. Most databases followed Googe's example and also use the implicit [and]. We use it to demonstrate the type of operator needed.
SEARCHES USING DATABASES
"presidential elections" and 2016 and "united states"
"health benefits" and (veganism or vegetarianism) not flexitarianism
influence and violence and (tv or sports or media)
SAME SEARCHES USING GOOGLE
"presidential elections" 2016 "united states"
"health benefits" veganism OR vegetarianism -flexitarianism
influence violence tv OR sports OR media
Here's a good tutorial about EBSCO's general and advanced search.
