3.6 Creating a Search Query

Phrases | logical operators | truncation | wild cards | nesting

Most databases don't understand the natural language we speak and need help understanding what we're looking for. For this, they require a special set of conventions, including:

Conventions		Description
Quotation marks		Around exact phrases (e.g. "saint charles borromeo seminary")
Logical or Boolean operators		Connecting words that narrow or broaden a search to include only what you need. Examples: OR, AND, NOT
Wildcards and truncation symbols (* # ? !)		For terms that have variant forms of spelling or different possible endings. Examples: child* for child, children, childhood, childish, etc.
Nesting		Placing terms in parentheses to indicate separate units. (Like an equation, (A or B) not C

Databases and search engines apply these rules differently, so check HELP files to find out how to use them.

Click on the links below for a demonstration of each strategy. Select either an animated flash or a static image. They all pop-up in new windows.

Function		Search Strategy		Animation		Image
Narrowing		AND NOT
Broadening		OR Wildcard
Combining		Nesting