BOOLEAN OPERATORS:  AND, OR, and NOT

When searching in the databases, you may have noticed a drop-down menu with AND, OR, and NOT next to each search box.  These are known as "Boolean operators."

AND: Results will contain both keyword A and keyword B. 

OR: Results will contain either A or B or both.  (This may expand your search. You can include synonyms such as "women OR woman OR female")

NOT: Results will contain keyword A and exclude B. 

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File:Diagram Explaining Boolean Operators.png
From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

• The Building Your Search section of our Library Research & Information Literacy Skills explains how to combine search terms using AND, OR, and NOT.

• The Search Builder tool can also help with search construction.

• You may also want to look through the rest of our searching effectively pages for more strategies to improve your searches.