1. Boolean operators
This guide shows one how to get the most
relevant results
when searching for resources
PS: it will save you time too!
By Fiona Jones, adapted by Linda Kelly l Academic Librarian @ UCT Libraries
4. 1.
Write down your topic in its simplest form.
Then break it up into CONCEPTS.
The impact of climate change on natural resources & sustainable development
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
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5. 2. Think of key words that describe each of your concepts
The impact of climate change on natural resources &
Concept 1
Concept 2
sustainable development
Concept 3
CONCEPT 1
CONCEPT 2
CONCEPT 3
Environmental
change
Water
Sustainable
development
Global warming
ocean
sea
river
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6. 3. Construct your search strategy
Boolean logic provides the language one uses to structure a
keyword search.
The search engine needs to know how your search terms relate
to each other.
In Boolean searching,
one makes use of the three Boolean operators:
AND
OR
NOT
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7. Use AND to combine different concepts:
“Climate change AND Water “
Water
Climate
change
•
• Using ‘AND’ narrows your search.
It retrieves items containing all of the search terms or keywords that you specify.
• The blue shaded area represents the search results.
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8. Use OR to enter keywords for the same (single) concept:
“Water OR Sea OR rivers OR Ocean”
WATER
SEA
RIVERS
•
OCEAN
• Using ‘OR’ broadens your search.
It retrieves items containing any one of the search terms or keywords that you specify.
• The shaded area represents the search results.
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9. Use NOT to get rid of unwanted results:
“water
Water
NOT
rivers”
Rivers
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10. The impact of climate change on natural resources & sustainable development
CONCEPT 1
CONCEPT 2
CONCEPT 3
Environmental Change
Water
Global warming
Sea
Sustainable
development
Ocean
Rivers
Water
Environmental Change
OR
Global warming
AND
OR
Sea
AND
Sustainable
Development
OR
Ocean
OR
Rivers
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11. 4. Type your search strategy
ONE SEARCH BOX: Use brackets to separate your concepts
(Environmental Change OR climate change OR global warming) AND (water OR ocean OR sea OR rivers) AND
Sustainable Development
STRUCTURED SCREEN:
Environmental Change OR climate change OR global warming
Water OR ocean OR sea OR rivers
Sustainable Development
Remember to keep track of
what & where you search.
For more info see the
“Simplified Searching Example” guide
&
download the template.
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