If there are too many choices or you get the wrong results, some search engines allow you to narrow your search by using Boolean logic.

Boolean logic consists of four logical operators:

1) AND requires all terms to appear in a record

2) OR retrieves records with either term

3) NOT excludes terms

4) NEAR requires that the two entries be within 10 words of one another

 

Some search engines allow you to designate the most important words within your search.

1) Insert a + (plus sign) immediately before the most important words.

2) Insert a – (minus sign) immediately before a word to exclude it.
{Example: +oatmeal+cookies-raisins return sites that have the words oatmeal and cookies, but not raisins.}

3) Enclose a phrase within “ “ (quotation marks) if you are looking for an exact phrase or a string of words.

4) A word types in ALL CAPS requires the word to be in the title of the resource.