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Using Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT, Parenthesis, Near

The document discusses Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT, parentheses, and NEAR that can be used to refine online searches. AND searches for documents containing both terms, OR searches for either term, and NOT excludes documents containing the following term. Parentheses are used to group clauses and determine order of execution. NEAR searches for terms within close proximity. Examples are provided to illustrate the usage of each Boolean operator to narrow or broaden search results.

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nikappi
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
581 views

Using Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT, Parenthesis, Near

The document discusses Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT, parentheses, and NEAR that can be used to refine online searches. AND searches for documents containing both terms, OR searches for either term, and NOT excludes documents containing the following term. Parentheses are used to group clauses and determine order of execution. NEAR searches for terms within close proximity. Examples are provided to illustrate the usage of each Boolean operator to narrow or broaden search results.

Uploaded by

nikappi
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Using Boolean Operators

AND, OR, NOT, Parenthesis,


NEAR

12/12/08 Straughn High School


Let get started!

Searching the NET can be a daunting


task.

You could spend hours on an unfocused


quest.

The NET can be organized into sensible


information by using search tools.

12/12/08 Straughn High School


Boolean Operator
AND

If you enter AND between two words then


your search will only yield documents that
contain both words, narrowing your
search.

If you enter goldfish AND guppies then


your search will yield only documents with
both words.
12/12/08 Straughn High School
Boolean Operator
OR
If you enter OR between two words then
your search will look for either word (you
don’t care which word), broadening your
search.
If you type in goldfish OR guppies in your
search engine then your search will yield
documents that contain the word goldfish
or the word guppies.
12/12/08 Straughn High School
Boolean Operator
NOT
NOT tells the search engine to disregard
those documents that contain a word.

This is a powerful command and should


be used sparingly.

12/12/08 Straughn High School


Why not Not?

If you search goldfish and guppy and gets lots


of information about swordtails, you might be
tempted to try NOT swordtails.
But what if the best authority on goldfish is an
authority on swordtails, too? What if her name
is Irma Swordtail? You could miss lots of
information.

12/12/08
Boolean Operator
Parenthesis ( )

Search engines do not read left to right.


Most interpret the AND first, then follow
with the OR.
You can tell the search engine to interpret
the OR first by typing (goldfish OR
guppies) AND food .
Don’t use ( ) when you’re only using AND.

12/12/08
Boolean Operator
NEAR
Narrow a search by using the term NEAR to
retrieve only documents where the
searched words appear close together.
If you search for information on gray cats,
and you type gray AND cats, documents
describing cats that lived in gray houses,
or slept on gray mats, or woke up and the
day was gray might appear on the list.
12/12/08 Straughn High School
Now give it a try!
Each search engine has different rules about
upper and lower case letters and the use of
Boolean operators. Check their directions.
Try some experimental searches. Browse the
results and make any necessary adjustments to
the structure of your search words and
operators.
With a little practice, you can save hours of time in
cyberspace and focus on the task at hand!

12/12/08 Straughn High School

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