Information Technology Learning Centers, Nursing Academic Tutorial

In the previous search, we used the word and to connect keywords. Using AND, OR, and NOT is called BOOLEAN SEARCHING. These connectors are used to link your keywords to specify your search topic. Below is a chart explaining the use of the three connectors.

Connector Purpose Example

And Focus or narrow a search diabetes and women

This connector will look for documents that contain both the keywords diabetes and women in the same document.

Connector	Purpose	Example
Or	Expand or broaden a search	diabetes or women

This connector will look for either keyword in any document. The document might contain one of the keywords or both.

Connector	Purpose	Example
Not	Exclude specific terms	diabetes not women

This connector will look for documents that contain only the keyword diabetes but does not contain women. If the keyword women is in the document, it will not be retrieved.