Boolean searching is the traditional way to search for information in most online databases and on the Internet. Boolean operators or connector words, such as AND, OR, and NOT, are used to create phrases and concepts based on specific rules of search logic.
Operator | Examples | Results |
AND |
|
Retrieves records that contain ALL of the search terms. |
OR |
|
Retrieves records that contain ANY of the search terms, but does not necessarily include all of them. |
NOT |
|
Excludes records containing the second search term. |
Evaluate your selection before using:
1. Authority?
2. Objectivity?
3. Currency?
4. Content Quality?
Purdue OWL: Searching the World Wide Web
Provides information on the different ways of locating material on the Web including using search engines, searching the invisible Web, and using Web directories.
Invisible (or Deep) Web information, from UC Berkeley
Explains why 'typical' Internet searches don't search the whole Internet...and what you can do to access the invisible web.