Boolean operators are a search technique that combines keywords in particular ways to help filter search results BEFORE applying any filters. Think of them like math equations. We manipulate numbers to find what we need, so we can do the same with our database searches. Some of the most common Boolean operators used are listed below. Try them out!
| Boolean Operator | What does it do? | Relatable Math Equation |
| AND | Locates things that contained all the keywords listed | Similar to addition (+) |
| OR | Locates things that contain at least one of the keywords listed | Similar to multiplication (x) |
| NOT | Eliminates things you don't want. Locates things about one keyword, not both | Similar to subtraction (-) |
| Boolean Operator | Example | What does it do? |
| TO | “student enrollment” 1973 TO 1983 | Locates things within a specific range (I.e. measurements, dates) TIP: Helpful for statistical and historical data |
| " " | Quotation Marks | “American airlines” | Locates the exact phrase within the quotation marks |
| ~ | Tilde | mexican ~desserts | Locates synonyms of the things (e.g. cake, cookies, pudding) |
|
! | Exclamation Point |
appeti!er | neighb?r | wom!n | Wildcards substitute for letters to help locate things with different spellings (e.g. British vs American English OR woman vs women) |
| * | Asterisk | child* | financ* | *day | Truncation locates things with the root word present. Also useful for spelling variations (e.g. child, children; finance, finances, financial, financing…; birthday, Monday,…) |
| ( ) | Parentheses | (“renewable energy” and wind) and “environmental effects” | Puts emphasis on words in parentheses first, kind of like Order of Operations from Math class |
