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One of the basic techniques for searching is using the Boolean Operators. Boolean searching is a symbolic logic system that creates relationships between concepts and words.
Use BOOLEAN OPERATORS to relate the terms in specific ways that will affect the results of a search. Boolean operators are terms that create relationships between concepts and words:
AND
OR
NOT
AND
Retrieves only articles that contain all the terms and will narrow the search. Examples:
Slaughterhouse Five AND meaning
Slaughterhouse Five AND literature
satiric literature AND tragedy
satiric literature AND tragedy AND comedy
OR
Retrieves articles with any of the terms and will broaden the search. Examples:
Kurt Vonnegut OR modern authors
literature OR fiction
modern literature OR modern fiction or 21st century writers
NOT
Eliminates articles containing the third term even when the first two terms are present. This will narrow the search. Examples:
Kurt Vonnegut AND novels NOT Slaughterhouse Five
Slaughterhouse Five AND novels NOT film reviews
film AND Kurt Vonnegut NOT Slaughterhouse Five
