Database Searching

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Database Searching

• Refining your search with Boolean Operators

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Database SearchingBoolean Operators AND

• When you need to narrow your search, reducing
  the number of items returned by the database, one
  method is to make your search more specific by
  adding search terms to the original. These terms
  are connected with the term AND.
• The AND command instructs the search engine to
  return only items which have ALL of your search
  terms.

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Database SearchingBoolean Operators AND
The area of overlap represents what the search
engine returns when you use an AND operator.
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Database SearchingBoolean Operators OR

• To broaden your search to include synonyms, use
  the Boolean Operator OR.
• The OR command instructs the database to return
  items with at least one of the search terms used.

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Database SearchingBoolean Operators OR
OR
The OR Operator would require the search engine
to return items with AT LEAST one search term.
The overlapped area WOULD be included.
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Database SearchingBoolean Operators NOT

• Sometimes your search returns items that are
  irrelevant to your search. When the reason is the
  persistent connection of an unrelated term with
  your search term, the Boolean Operator NOT is
  useful.
• The NOT Operator instructs the search engine to
  return only items that have your search term
  without the term that follows the NOT.

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Database Searching Boolean Operators NOT
NOT
NOT forces the database to exclude your search
term if it is linked to the unwanted term.