Boolean operators• AND

– both words must be present in the record for it to be retrieved

• OR– either word or both must be present in the

record for it to be retrieved

• NOT– the first word must be present, but not if the

second is, for it to be retrieved. Use with care!

Boolean operators

AND

Durham AND University

OR

university OR higher education

NOT

student NOT part-time

Boolean operators

• use the Boolean operators to help you express your search logically e.g.

student university durham

AND AND

Synonyms and spellings

• think about other terms which mean the same i.e. synonyms, or related terms

• remember alternative spellings e.g. US vs British

student* university durham

under-graduate*

higher education

northern england

post-graduate*

AND

OROR

AND