Becoming an Internet Super Searcher

 

AKA: Why Learn Boolean Logic?

 

  • Whether using an Internet search tool or a CD ROM encyclopedia, there are simple strategies and techniques that can result in more accurate, effective and efficient searches. Boolean Logic is one of those techniques that can make electronic searching easier and more effective.

  • The easiest way to share some basics of these search strategies is to give an example of the kind of search that would be improved through the use of some of these techniques. If you were to type the word, "Lincoln" into a search engine, the number of hits would be massive. Just a few of the topics you would get could include: the man, Mary Todd Lincoln, Tad Lincoln, the car, the coin, the memorial, Illinois (Land of …) and Lincoln, Nebraska. Through the use of Boolean operators, you can make your search more specific.

  • Entering Lincoln AND Nebraska would make it so that both terms would need to be present in the document. Typing Lincoln AND (Car* OR Auto*) would produce the hits relating to the car, eliminating the other topics.

  • Operators are not limited to AND, OR, or NOT/BUT NOT. Some engines allow the searcher to specify location or proximity. NEAR and FOLLOWED BY are two such examples. Several search engines substitute signs for the Boolean operators. For example, + is equivalent to AND when searching with certain engines. Some engines require that AND is capitalized, while others do not.

  • Truncation is another search tool as well as the use of quotation marks and parentheses. Depending on the search tool used, an asterisk or question mark at the end of a shortened word will allow the engine to search for variations of the word. For example "Auto*" will search for autos, automotive, automobiles, etc.
  • Using quotation marks with most search tools will allow the searcher to search a combination of words.  "George Washington" when searched with the quotation marks causes the words to be searched as a single unit.

  • The specifics aspect of a Web page to be searched can also be determined by the searcher with some search engines as well. One such example is it is possible to indicate the portion of the Web page to be searched. Search tools often offer the possibility of these more powerful search techniques through advanced search or power search options.

  • By learning the ideas behind these search tools, the searcher can have greater success when using electronic information sources.