Module 3: Finding Articles

Here are a few Basic Search Tips:

• Boolean Operators:         AND     OR

• Quotation Marks:               “       ”       

• Truncation:                             *

Boolean Operators:         AND     OR

AND                                        

• Connects two or more words
• Narrows a search
• Google always uses AND, if you don’t “tell” it otherwise

OR                                         

• Allows either word (or phrase) to be included somewhere in the search results
• Broadens a search

Venn Diagram Example:

        pollution AND water                                                 pollution OR water

The pink indicates search results.

Quotation Marks

To search for a phrase, use quotation marks.

Examples:

• “Abstract Expressionism”

• “French Revolution”

•  “health care”

Truncation *

Include an asterisk (*) at the end of a word stem to tell the database to search all possible variants of that word.

Example:

1. If you search for  educat*, alll the following words will be included:

       educate             educating           education

       educational        educator            educators

2. If you search for  art*, all the following words will be included even the irrelevant words.

              art               arts               artist   

           artists             artificial      artifacts