3.6 Creating a Search Query
Phrases | logical operators | truncation | wild cards | nesting
Most databases don't understand the natural language we speak and
need help understanding what we're looking for. For this, they require a
special set of conventions, including:
Conventions |
Description |
Quotation marks |
Around exact phrases (e.g. "university of washington") |
Logical or Boolean operators |
Connecting words that narrow or broaden a search to include only
what you need. Examples: OR, AND, NOT |
Wildcards and truncation symbols
(* # ? !) |
For terms that have variant forms of spelling or different possible
endings. Examples: child* for child, children, childhood,
childish, etc. |
Nesting |
Placing terms in parentheses to indicate separate units. (Like an
equation, (A or B) not C |
Databases and search engines apply these rules differently, so check
HELP files to find out how to use them.
Click on the links below for a demonstration of each strategy. Select
either an animated flash or a static image.
They all pop-up in new windows.
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