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KAAP400

Boolean Operators

Search Strategies

  • Develop Keywords

  • Before you search, consider terminology related to your topic. You utilize terms from your background research to help you develop a good list. Try to think through all the facets of your topic, and be sure to add synonyms and related terms. If you're not getting the best results when you search with one term, just switch it out for another and keep exploring. 

  • Use Search Connectors (Boolean Operators)
    When you construct a search in a database, you'll usually see search connectors such as "AND" and "OR." Use AND to connect two or more keywords and get results that address all of the terms. Use OR if you want to include a variety of synonyms.