Which boolean operator broadens a search

NOT narrows your search by telling the database to eliminate all terms that follow it from your search results. This can be useful when:. In the example below, searching for sex education NOT abstinence-only will return articles on sex ed, but not those dealing with abstinence-only approaches. Was this helpful? Yes No Need personalized help? See our schedule. Richard G. Trefry Library LibAnswers. Warning: Your browser has javascript disabled.

Without javascript some functions will not work, including question submission via the form. We are open. Welcome back! Please complete a UCheck self-assessment before coming to campus. Updates on Fall library reopening. All FAQs. What are Boolean operators? How can I use them to improve my searches? Narrow your search using AND Using the Boolean command AND in your search tells the search engine to give you results that contain all of the words you have entered.

Though all your search terms are included in the results, they may not be connected together in the way you want. The words may appear individually throughout the resulting records. You can search using phrases to make your results more specific. For example: "college students" AND "test anxiety". This way, the phrases show up in the results as you expect them to be. All three circles represent the result set for this search. It is a big set because any of those words are valid using the OR operator.

Databases follow commands you type in and return results based on those commands. Be aware of the logical order in which words are connected when using Boolean operators:. Ask Us Ask a question, make an appointment, give feedback, or visit us. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older.