In order to find the most relevant information, use these strategies in databases and online to develop a search string that will get you the best results.
Boolean searching is the traditional way to search for information in most online databases and on the Internet. Boolean operators or connector words, such as AND, OR, and NOT, are used to create phrases and concepts based on specific rules of search logic.
| Connecting Word | Examples | Results |
|---|---|---|
| AND |
business AND ethics |
Retrieves records that contain ALL of the search terms. |
| OR |
hotels OR motels |
Retrieves records that contain ANY of the search terms, but does not necessarily include all of them. |
| NOT |
java NOT coffee |
Excludes records containing the second search term. |
Truncation or wildcard symbols can broaden your search and allow you to look for variations of words.
Truncation refers to truncating, or shortening a word. For example, a search for sport* would find all variations of the word "sport" such as sport, sports, sporting, sporty, etc.
A wildcard refers to the use of a symbol anywhere in your keyword to cover multiple spellings, such as wom*n for woman and women.
Note: The truncation symbol varies depending on the electronic resource you are searching. For more information, consult the database’s “help” or “search tips” pages.
The Search Strategy Builder is a tool designed to teach you how to create a search string using Boolean logic. While it is not a database and is not designed to input a search, you should be able to cut and paste the results into most databases’ search boxes.
Take a look at these search tips and strategies to help you produce the results you want.
For more explanation, visit Google's page on how to refine a search
| Search Tips | Examples |
|---|---|
| Searches are not case sensitive. |
Barack Obama and barack obama will retrieve the same results. |
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Avoid natural language queries as they can limit your results. |
Use colorado statehood instead of when did colorado first become a state. |
|
Google automatically searches for all versions of a word. To prevent this, use quotation marks around each term (see below). |
A search for child retrieves results with children and childcare. |
|
Use double quotations marks ("") to search terms as a phrase and narrow your results. Google will only retrieve results that have those exact terms in the exact order typed. |
A search for "Barack Hussein Obama II" will retrieve only those sites that refer to Obama by his full name. Sites that refer to him as simply 'Barack Obama' may not be included. |
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Use the "site:" feature to limit your results to a specific website or type of website. |
The search cloning site:online.wsj.com will only retrieve articles about cloning from the online version of the Wall Street Journal. A search of cloning site:.gov will only retrieve results within the government domain. |
| To allow for either of several words to appear in your results, use the OR operator. The operator must be in all caps. |
A search for hotel OR lodging OR inn directories will retrieve any or all of the types of directories mentioned. |
| To exclude any words or terms from your search, use a minus sign (-) in front of the word or term | A search for hotel -"bed and breakfast" will retrieve any results for hotels, but will not include any for bed and breakfast lodging. |
Advanced Google searching can make a huge difference in your search results. Watch this video to see how.