Day 15: Boolean Searching

Boolean online searching strategies widen or narrow a search for a Book of Days project. By varying keywords (synonyms and related terms), the online searching engines know what I want. Then, using operators (and, or, not) with the keywords can further specific what is desired. Grouping keywords together with quotation marks ensures they are searched together as a unit. Using an asterisk as an ending to a keyword (truncating) searches variations of the word. Indicating where the sources need to be drawn from further directs the search (site:edu -- university sources; site:gov -- government sources).

For example, a search using Book of Days would get 529,000,000 results about books, about days, about books and days but there is no guarantee the results will be what is desired.

If Boolean strategies are used, as in the example "book of days" and site:edu, the results are limited to 6,090 options...MUCH more specific results!

It's all about direction: strategies for directing a search engine or database to know how to interpret a search.

Boolean strategies widen or narrow a search so a researcher can locate facts without having to sift through
unwanted information.   The source for this image, though providing valuable information,
 does not offer the information needed for this project. Using different keywords and
operators would have weeded out unnecessary results like this one.

Keep those days moving forward
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