Research & Information Literacy
Boolean Searching
Boolean searching refers to a technique that utilizes computer logic to construct specific searches in databases and search engines. By using the computer's "language," you can tailor searches to find results that fit your specifications, making your research more efficient.
Boolean tools known as operators and modifiers can be added to search terms to create a search string that limits, expands, or refines your results. Read on to learn more!
Boolean Operators
Boolean operators are added between search terms to refine results. The primary operators are "AND," "OR," and "NOT."
| Operator | Description | Example | Illustration |
|---|---|---|---|
| AND | This requires both terms to appear in every result.
It narrows your search. |
"cats AND dogs" |  |
| OR | This requires either of the terms to appear in every result. It's helpful for adding synonyms.
It broadens your search. |
"films OR movies OR motion pictures" |  |
| NOT | The first term must be present, but the second term must not be present. This omits irrelevant results by excluding results with the second term.
It narrows your search. |
"dolphins NOT football" |  |
Above: NC State University Library, "Boolean Operators," video, uploaded to YouTube, 2022.
Boolean Modifiers
Boolean modifiers can be added to your search string to make it more targeted, as well.
| Modifier | Description | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parentheses or Brackets ( ) or [ ] |
These can be used to encapsulate OR statements. | Modernism AND ("exhibition catalog" OR "exhibition catalogue") | Searches for exhibition catalogs, whether spelled "catalog" or "catalogue," that relate to Modernism. |
| Quotation marks " " |
Putting search terms in quotation marks groups them together as a phrase. | "conceptual art" | Rather than searching for either term or both terms, this yields results that include this specific phrase. |
| Question mark ? |
This wildcard represents one character in a search term. It can replace a letter in a word to expand your results. | wom?n | Searches for woman, women, and womxn. |
| Asterisk * |
This wildcard represents one or more characters in a search term. It is useful for truncation, allowing for versions of a root with different suffixes to be included in the results. | modern* | Searches for modern, modernism, modernity, modernist, modernization, etc. |
Above: McMaster Libraries, "How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Modifiers "", *, ( )," video, uploaded to YouTube, 2016.
Search Strings and Nesting
Search strings are what you enter into the search bar of a database or search engine.
To do more advanced research, try nesting, or mixing Boolean operators and modifiers. This allows you to combine multiple search statements into a single, comprehensive search string. It works like constructing an algebraic equation, so pay attention to the order in which elements appear and how they are organized.
Above: GSU Libraries, "How To Make A Search String," video, uploaded to YouTube, 2021.
Example Search Strings
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
| Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
| Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
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