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GRMN 7500: Carroll: Strategy

Boolean Searching

  • Allow a database search to be narrowed, broadened or made more precise.
  • There are three Boolean operators:  AND, OR, and NOT.
  • AND, OR, NOT are inserted between each search term.

 

AND
  • Used for narrowing or focusing a search topic. 
  • Specifies that both search terms must be present in the results. 

Example: Teenagers AND Violence

Two articles merging into one to demonstrate Boolean Operator And. You can search for articles on each aspect of your overall topic like teenagers or violence. But you can combine into one search by using AND. Teenagers AND Violence. The search results grow smaller as you use AND.

OR
  • Used for expanding or broadening a search topic. 
  • Specifies that either search term can be present in the results. 
  • Often used to include synonyms or related terms.


Example: Teenager OR Juvenile OR Adolescent

Search results merging to demonstrate Boolean Operator Or. You can search with words that are synonyms (juvenile, teenager, adolescent) individually or by combining them by place OR between each word. Juvenile OR Teenager OR Adolescent. Search results grower lower as you use OR.

NOT
  • Used to eliminate false hits, or get rid of that one term that you don't want in your results list. 
  • Specifies that the first term but not the second can be present in the results. 


Example: Teenagers NOT Violence. 

Another tip

Never be intimidated by an advanced search screen. Advanced searches often give you more options, extra fields, or extra limiters. Some advanced search screens actually provide more guidance and advice than a simple search. You may come to find advanced searches much easier than a simple empty box.

Search Strategy Builder

Search Strategy Builder

The Search Strategy Builder is a tool designed to teach you how to create a search string using Boolean logic. While it is not a database and is not designed to input a search, you should be able to cut and paste the results into most databases' search boxes.

  Concept 1 and Concept 2 and Concept 3
Name your concepts here    
Search terms Search terms Search terms
List alternate terms for each concept.

These can be synonyms, or they can be specific examples of the concept.

Use single words, or "short phrases" in quotes

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

or

SSB created by University of Arizona Libraries and located at GitHub

Second-Language Acquisition

Instead of using the Multi-Search to find articles about Second Language Acquisition, I suggest using ERIC and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts.  The Thesaurus feature allows you to use more precise language.  If you are searching for a phrase that has a very specific meaning you might inadvertently remove research in related areas.  You can search for your topic, and the Thesaurus will bring back the current language, and give you the opportunity to find all research articles which are about that topic.  For example, if I do a search for "Second Language Acquisition," the Thesaurus informs me that the general terminology is "Second Language Learning."  "Second Language Instruction" is another term which might be a more precise way to find research on how to teach languages to students.