- Searching Skills
- Focusing on a Topic
- Selecting Search Terms
- Constructing a Search Strategy
- Suggestions to Improve Search Results
Constructing a Search Strategy (page 3 of 4)
Nesting Boolean Search Operators
Parentheses may be used to "nest" Boolean operations, resulting in a more advanced search strategy.
Example #1:
- (Internet NOT Web) AND usage
This search strategy will begin by conducting the search in the parenthesis, looking for all information in the tool selected (online catalog, database or the Web) with the word "Internet," and then with the word "Web," and compile a list of information sources in which the word "Internet" appears without the word "Web." It will then conduct the search outside of the parenthesis, finding all information with the word "usage." Last, it will combine the results of the first search with those of the second search, returning results to the searcher of all information (documents, articles, etc. depending upon the information tool searched) with the word "Internet" and without the word "Web," and with the word "usage."
Example #2:
- (trade OR tariffs) AND (treat* OR agreements)
This search strategy will conduct the Boolean search function in the first set of parenthesis. Then, it will conduct the search in second set of parenthesis. Note that in the second search, "treat*" is truncated, and the search will include "treaty" and "treaties." Finally, the third operation will combine the results of the search from the first parenthesis with the results from the second parenthesis in a Boolean "AND" operation, further limiting the results.