This page lists different searching techniques you can use: boolean search, exact phrase search and using symbols.
Boolean searching involves using AND, OR, or NOT operators when conducting a search.
► Using AND helps you find sources where both search terms appear.
► Using OR helps you find sources where at least one of the search terms appears.
► Using NOT specifies a word that should not be included in the search, effectively excluding that term.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a risk that you may exclude sources that do provide answers to your research question.
| revenue manager AND tasks | ► Both words occur in the source found |
| steam OR poach | ► Either or both terms occur in the source found |
| sustainable NOT ecological | ► The term ecological does not appear in the source found |
TIP: Boolean searching can also be done in an extended or combination strategy.
For example: Hotels OR resorts NOT inns
By using double quotation marks (". . ."), you can perform an exact search.
► This means you are searching literally for the word combination within the quotation marks.
► This prevents the words within the quotation marks from being searched as individual components.
► This method can also be used to look up publication titles or article titles.
► The search engine looks for sources that contain this exact word combination.
You can use wildcard and truncation symbols to formulate search terms with an unknown character, spelling variations, or multiple endings.
► The asterisk (*) corresponds to multiple characters.
► The pound sign (#) corresponds to one optional character.
► The question mark (?) corresponds to exactly one character.
| advert* | ► with this strategy you search for example on advertorial, but also advertising |
| hotel# | ► with this search strategy only one character is added, so you search for hotel and hotels, but not hotelware |
| ne?t | ► with this search strategy you find sources where one character is unknown, e.g. neat, nest, next, ... |