Searching with Boolean Operators

One good way to bring order in your search for information is based on the principles of Boolean logic. Boolean searching is based on a system of symbolic logic developed by George Boole, a British mathematician.

Boolean searching may be employed in any number of periodical databases, online catalogs and search engines.

Boolean logic consists of three operators:

  • AND
  • OR
  • NOT

To better visualize how Boolean logic works Venn diagrams represent the keywords or phrases of the search.  For example, if we wanted to search for information about intelligence and gender.


intelligence and gender

Image of Boolean: Gender and Intelligence

sports or games

Image of Boolean: Sports and Games

running not track

Image of Boolean: Running and Track.

Boolean ConceptSearch TermsRetrieval Formula
AND internet AND privacy
ethics AND business
 Boolean: AND Retrieves records that include both terms
OR email OR e-mail
teenagers OR adolescents
 Boolean: OR Retrieves records containing either term
NOT Falcons NOT Atlanta
Cherokee NOT Jeep
 Boolean: Not Excludes records
NESTING higher education AND (college AND university)(government or politics) AND (democrat or republican) NOT (federal or state) Use parenthesis ( ) togroup multiple concepts for more complex searches.

Additional Information About Boolean Searching

Search Engine Tips. Lake-Sumter Community College
http://www.lscc.edu/library/guides/searchtips.aspx

Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/boolean.html