Montgomery College Libraries > Pat Semple, Librarian > EN109 Writing for Technology & Business

Webpage created by pat.semple@montgomerycollege.edu.

A search expression that uses Boolean operators is one of the best ways to pinpoint information in a library catalog, database, or search engine. There are three components to Boolean search expressions:

• Keywords: tend to be the nouns that best describe a topic
• Boolean Operators: AND, OR, and NOT
• Punctuation: quotation marks for phrases, parentheses with OR, truncation symbol of question mark (?) in catalog and asterisk (*) in databases

Here are some sample searches using keywords and Boolean operators:

"avian flu" OR "bird flu" OR "avian influenza"

"global warming" AND (ocean? OR "marine life" OR coast)

(child* OR youth) AND obesity

"chesapeake bay" AND pollut*

children AND (television OR tv) AND violence

iraq AND shiites AND sunnis

india AND "child labor"

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Find Book In Catalog: Go to the library's homepage, find the link for MC Library Catalog, and set "Select Search Type" to Keyword Boolean. Enter a short search expression; remember, books tend to be about broader topics:

"alternative energy" OR "renewable energy"    good

energy AND (alternative OR renewable)    better

energy AND (solar OR wind)

hydroelectric AND (energy OR power)

hybrid AND (car OR automobile)

energy AND (nuclear OR atomic)

Set One Limit: Remember that one of your options is to limit your search to a particular campus, to the last five years, to e-books, to video (DVDs, VHS tapes), or to audio (CDs, cassette tapes).

Request Book From Another Campus: Go into MC Library Catalog and use the REQUEST ITEM button (pictured at right).
Renew Books Online: Go into MC Library Catalog and use the MY ACCOUNT button (pictured at right).

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Searching: Go to the library's homepage, find the link for the "Databases," and locate one of the databases on the list below. Enter a search expression; remember, you can narrow your topic quite a bit when looking for an article:

telecommut* AND (effect OR affect*)

(advertis* OR ads) AND (tobacco OR alcohol)

corporat* AND ethic*

viginia AND immigrant AND labor

e-commerce AND (movie OR film) AND industry

(internet OR web) AND ("political campaign" OR politic*)

Sorting: Results can be sorted by date (most recent first) or relevance (highest occurrence of keywords).

Printing: For trouble-free printing, use the Print button in the database.

Citation Help: Many of the databases will provide a rudimentary citation formatted according to the style you choose (APA, MLA). CAUTION: They are rarely perfect; you will need to make corrections by hand. Refer to handout, below.

Help: Read the Help or Search Tips information for the database; speak to the reference librarian on duty; or call the reference desk:

Germantown: 240-567-7853

Rockville: 240-567-7130

Takoma Park Silver Spring: 240-567-1536

ProQuest Newspapers

Includes the last few decades of The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journals, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Baltimore Sun. For opinion pieces, try: More Search Options > Document Type > Editorial.

Ethnic Newswatch

For a different view than what you'll find in the major newspapers, try this collection of newspapers published for and by a range of ethnic groups.

GenderWatch

For a different view than what you'll find in the major newspapers, try this collection of newspapers published for and by groups that focus on gender-related issues.

Academic Search Premier

One of the College's largest collections of digitized articles.

Academic OneFile

One of the College's largest collections of digitized articles.

CQ Researcher

Less is more; search on single word or short phrase for 30-page reports.

SIRS Knowledge Source

Remember to set the search mode to "Keyword/Natural Language" before entering search expression, or use the directory to drill down.

Opposing Viewpoints

Use list of topics at left. If desired, go to drop-down menu and change to "Search By Keyword" before entering Boolean Search Expression.

Business Source Premier

Over 2,300 business publications represented.

Specialty Databases: For the complete listing of subject-specific databases, which include ones especially for topics related to business, mass media, health, ethnic issues, gender issues, criminal justice, education, science, and psychology, go to the source:

Databases by Subject

   * * * ALL DATABASES * * *

A complete listing of the College's databases organized by topic.

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Limit Domains in Google: To limit your Google search to reputable Web sites, enter the domain you are interested in searching in front of your search terms:

site:edu     or     site:gov

    or     site:org

site:gov hybrid AND (car OR automobile)

site:gov virginia AND immigrant

site:edu "no child left behind" AND legislation

site:org (television OR tv) AND violence

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The library has two six-page handout on citation styles: APA: Reference List and MLA: Works Cited.

Help: Speak to the reference librarian on duty or call the reference desk: Germantown: 240-567-7853 Rockville: 240-567-7130 Takoma Park Silver Spring: 240-567-1536
AskUsNow!: For 24/7 help, IM an academic librarian at a college or university library by using Maryland's AskUsNow! service.

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