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Strategic Searching WRTG 316

Why Boolean operators?

Boolean operators are words (AND, OR, NOT) that you can use to combine or exclude keywords from searching. These are used specifically for searching in databases, which require more precise language than a typical Google search.

Boolean operators can help you:

  • Focus your results so you don’t waste time scrolling through irrelevant articles
  • Control your search more precisely
  • Identify distinct concepts in your research questions
Tip
Always put Boolean operators in ALL CAPS—some databases won't recognize them otherwise.
Note
Where does the name "Boolean" come from?
The term "Boolean" comes from George Boole, a 19th-century mathematician who developed a symbolic system of logic (Boolean algebra) that treats logical statements using algebra-like symbols and operations such as AND, OR, and NOT.

Adapted from: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2025, June 14). George Boole. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Boole

How do Boolean Operators work?
AND
OR
NOT

AND
Narrows your search by requiring both terms to appear. Use this to narrow or limit your search.

Examples:

  • "autonomous vehicles" AND ethics
  • "AI training" AND copyright
  • "energy efficiency" AND "artificial intelligence"
Tip
Use quotation marks around a phrase to indicate in a database search that you want that phrase, not the separate words. For example, searching "autonomous vehicles" ensures that the database searches the words together, rather than two separate words that may be unrelated to "autonomous vehicles."

OR
Broadens your search by including either term. Use this to expand your search, usually for synonyms or related terms.

Examples:

  • "self-driving cars" OR "autonomous vehicles"
  • copyright OR "intellectual property"
  • "green energy" OR "sustainable energy"

NOT
Excludes a term from your results. Use this to filter out unrelated topics. In some databases, such as Scopus, you may need to use AND NOT instead of NOT.

Examples:

  • "autonomous vehicles" AND NOT military
  • copyright AND NOT music
  • "renewable energy" AND NOT "fossil fuels"
How else can I refine my search?
Quotation Marks
Parenthesis
Asterisk

Quotation Marks
Search for an exact phrase.

Examples:

  • "autonomous vehicles"
  • "artificial intelligence"
Note
If you use a single word in a search, it does not require quotation marks (e.g., vehicles does not need quotation marks around it if it is the only part of the search string).

Parenthesis
Group terms to control the order of operations in your search whenever you are using an OR.

Examples:

  • ("autonomous vehicles" OR "self-driving cars") AND ethics 
    • The database interprets this search as the following: (“autonomous vehicles” AND ethics) OR (“self-driving cars” AND ethics)

Asterisk
Truncates or shortens a word to search for variations of a word.

Example:

  • Thermo* finds thermodynamics, thermochemistry, thermoplastic, thermos, thermometer, etc.

Strategic Searching: Think Like a Database

Library databases don't "read" your search the way that Google does. The keywords you use, and how you search them, matter. Google uses natural language processing, but databases use keyword searching.

Go through the following steps to best search databases:

  • To effectively search databases, starting with keyword planning. Looking at your topic, brainstorm lists of keywords by category. Start broad, and then narrow terms as you list them. Include synonyms and related terms in your list—these can get added to your search as well.

  • Let's look at an example using self-driving cars, searching this topic from four disciplines. You can approach this topic from many disciplines, and different disciplines can lead to different ways of searching the topic. For example, look at this list of disciplines and potential topics related to self-driving cars:

    • Computer science: AI, software
    • Mechanical engineering: braking, dynamics
    • Chemical engineering: fuel, battery
    • Civil engineering: traffic, roads

  • Using the same keywords in multiple databases can produce different results. Multiple database options exist because they are designed to focus on specific subjects, offering more targeted and relevant results. There's only one Google because it searches a broad range of publicly available web content, providing general results for many users.

    For example, for the self-driving cars topic, you could search Scopus (research in the fields of science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and arts and humanities), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), or ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers Research Library), depending on the discipline from which you choose to approach the topic. You may get different sources based on the focus of the database.

  • You may need to try several different searches before you find relevant articles. Once you identify keywords that work well, try combining different parts of those searches to improve your results. When you come across a particularly useful article, take note of its keywords and update your keyword list (from Step 1) with some of them to refine your future searches. Avoid getting too focused on a single topic or stuck on one search strategy if you're not finding useful results. Instead, try using different keywords or exploring other databases if your initial approach isn’t effective.

Databases vs. Google vs. Google Scholar

There are several key differences between the information you can find in databases, Google, and Google Scholar. The table below discusses some of the main differences:

FeatureDatabaseGoogleGoogle Scholar
Content TypePeer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, reviews, book chaptersWebsites, blogs, news, videos, images, forums, etc.Mix of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed sources: Academic articles, theses, books, preprints
Search PrecisionHigh search precision – supports Boolean operators, field-specific searching, and various filtersLow search precision – basic keywords, limited filteringModerate search precision – supports Boolean operators and a few filters
Source QualityPrimarily scholarly, peer-reviewed, and curatedMixed – can include unreliable sources and non-academic sourcesMixed – can include peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed academic sources
Citation MetricsDetailed citation counts, journal impactNoneBasic citation counts and links to articles that have cited the source
Access to Full TextOften requires BYU institutional access (login to the library website)Usually links to free content, but does not provide access to paid scholarly content. Can sometimes link to BYU Library holdings.Can link to paywalled or free content, some PDFs. Can sometimes link to BYU Library holdings.
Advanced Search FeaturesYes – many advanced search featuresNo – very limited advanced searchSome – filter by author, date, and basic publication type
Exporting CitationsYes – can export to RefWorks, EndNote, etc.NoYes – basic format citations and RefWorks, EndNote, and BibTeX, but Google Scholar often provides unreliable citations, so be sure to check them
Best Used ForIn-depth academic research in science, engineering, medicine, etc.General background information or broad topic explorationQuick access to academic papers, especially when full text is freely available

A note about searching in the Library website

It's best to search right in a database rather than the main library page (lib.byu.edu) because you'll get more access to articles and sources in a database.

Searching in the main search bar on the library's main website has two options: 1) In the Library, and 2) Available Online. Generally, physical library holdings will appear on the In the Library list, and online holdings will appear on the Available Online list. However, an e-book that the library also has available as a physical book may sometimes appear on the In the Library list, so be sure to check both options if you need something!