Web Search Engines
GPS for the Information Super Highway
Search Lingo
To communicate effectively, you've gotta "speaking the Lingo". Here's a quick guide to effective search of database queries.
AND: - automatic; the default for multiple word searches
- can be force by adding a "+"
to a term (e.g. "+the plague")
- restricts results to
containing all terms
- more terms equal few results
NOT: - exclude results with a term(s) in them
- Use a "-" before the
excluded term (e.g. "plague -dental")
- must include a space
between terms
Quotes - Restrict results to containing the verbatim term(s)
- order
matters but not capitalization
Use common Boolean search conventions:
AND: - individual terms or groups of terms in parentheses
separated by
a space (e.g. "engine (ford, chevy) V8")
- restricts results to
containing all terms
- more terms equal few results
& more specific
OR: - terms in parentheses and separated by a comma
(e.g. "(beer,
ale, mead, lager, pilsner)" )
- expands results to containing
any term in group
- increase results
NOT: - exclude results with a term(s) in them
- Use a "-" before the
excluded term (e.g. "plague -dental")
- must include a space
between terms
Quotes - Restrict results to containing the verbatim term(s)
- order
matters but not capitalization
(with Venn Diagrams)
AND (intersection of terms)
ex. poverty and crime
ex. poverty AND crime AND gender
OR (union of terms):
ex. college OR university
NOT (exclusion of term(s))
ex. cats NOT dogs
