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SHS Advanced Searching: Build the Search

SHS Advanced Searching

Understanding AND/OR in a search

"Venn Diagram for Boolean Operator AND" by ramaxeymiles is licensed under CC BY 2.0"Venn Diagram for Boolean Operator OR" by ramaxeymiles is licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Venn Diagram for Boolean Operator OR" by ramaxeymiles is licensed under CC BY 2.0

"Venn Diagram for Boolean Operator AND" by ramaxeymiles is licensed under CC BY 2.0

OR

AND

Searches for each term separately

Searches for all terms in a single article

Expands the search

Narrows the search

More results

Fewer results

Used between synonyms

Used between concept groups

Surround each group with ( )

No special punctuation

 

For Example:

"American football" AND (youth OR adolescent OR teen OR teenager) AND (safe OR injury OR concussion OR risks)

* note that each grouping of OR words is enclosed in (parentheses)

** note that phrases are enclosed in "quotation marks"

If we insert more terms in each OR grouping, we will get more results.

If we add another concept, like a gender or ethnicity, we will get fewer results.

The Final Search:

"American football" AND (youth OR adolescent OR teen OR teenager) AND (safe OR injury OR concussion OR risks)