2.7 Search Strategies - Using Boolean Logic

Are you researching a subject that really combines two different concepts? Have you done your search and have way too many results to look through? Then Boolean logic and the AND operator are what you need! (The interesting name for the process comes from its founder, British mathematician George Boole.)

Consider this example search. While searching for information about computers in the classroom, you enter the term "computers". You would receive a rather large number of results for that term. Using Boolean logic you could add another concept to this search, for example, schools. Using the search statement "computers and schools", you are asking for results that include BOTH of these terms, which really focuses or narrows the search. Your results will be more targeted to the subject you have in mind. Here is a diagram, called a Venn diagram, that illustrates the set of results that you get when you combine your terms with AND.

Try this in Infotrac's keyword search to focus your topic.