Boolean Searches

Named for British mathematician George Boole System of logic designed to produce much

better search results

Bartenders use Boolean logic every day to fill customers’ mixed drink orders

Remember the Search “Mixers!”

Bartenders combine alcohol to make drinks. Operators combine keywords to make search

strings.Vodka AND Roses Lime Juice Vodka AND Kahlua

= Vodka Gimlet AND milk = White Russian

Research is like

adding mixers

Too many choices using the subject History– 405,393 articles in ProQuest Research Library

Decide on your main ingredient (History), then blend it with mixers (place, time period, person, event)

History AND England AND Tudor AND Elizabeth

History AND Japan AND Tokugawa AND Shogunate

ANDNarrows your search Retrieves only documents that contain all your

keywords The more keywords, the fewer the results

– Gin and Rum and Tequila and Vodka and “sour mix” and Cola

– “Medical research” and ethics and “stem cells”– “Central Park” and Christo and art

ORExpands the search Retrieves documents in which either or both keywords

appear The more keywords, the greater the results Also use for synonyms

– Stolichnaya or Smirnoff or Finlandia or Absolut or Chopin or Belvedere or “Grey Goose” or VanGogh

– Vodka and (Midori or “peach schnapps” or “blue curacao” or “apple pucker”)

– college or university– feminism or “women’s rights”

NOTNarrows the search Retrieves documents in which only the first

keyword appears– Cosmopolitan NOT splash of cranberry juice– Cowboys NOT Football

Beware! The computer will not retrieve documents where both keywords appear.– Fuzzy Navel NOT peach schnapps– vegetarianism NOT “animal rights”

QUOTATION MARKS

Not all databases or search engines allow this option

Words inside quotation marks become a phrase.

Computer searches for the words in that exact order.– Like the layered shot Chocolate Covered Cherry– “green tea”– “Wonder Woman”

NESTINGCombines several search statements into

one search– Parentheses separate keywords when you are

using more than 1 operator and 3 or more keywords– Think about math… (8-4) * (12-6) = 24, but the

answer would be different without the parentheses (Jose Cuervo or Sauza) AND (Gran Marnier or Cointreau

or Triple Sec) AND (lemon or lime) NOT Salt (MDMA or ecstasy) AND (physiological or medical)

AND effects

TRUNCATION

Use * or # at end of word.– Computer retrieves documents containing variations

of a root word. Sloe Gin Fizz: After Midnight, Against the Wall, Mexican

Style, A Little Bit of English, With a Kiss environment* [Finds: environment, environmental,

environmentalism, etc.]

Use ? inside a word– Computer retrieves various spellings of a word

Wom?n [Finds: woman, women, womin, womyn]

Always cite the websites where you retrieved your photos!

Bibliography

Cocktail:UK. (n.d.). Cocktail Recipe. Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.cocktail.uk.com.

Cynical-C Blog. (2005). Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.cynical-c.com/archives/bloggraphics/cocktails.jpg.

Double Coffee. (2002). Alkoholiskie kokteiļi. Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.doublecoffee.lv/pic/cosmopolitan.jpg.

Fluid Foundation. (n.d.). Fluid Trade. Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.fluidfoundation.com/gfx/cocktails/regular/360.jpg.

Gimlet. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.misichan.com/cocktail/cgi/image/cocktail15.jpg.

Internet Marketing Services. (2002). Martini Swords. Retrieved April 28, 2005 from http://www.martini-swords.com/Clipart- Martini/martini-excalibur%201.jpg

Bibliography (Continued)

Lorenzen, M. (2002). “Remember the Gin and Tonic!” Retrieved April 27, 2005, from http://www.libraryinstruction.com/alcohol.html.

Steve’s Frozen Chillers. (n.d.). Steve’s Frozen Chillers. Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.stevesfrozenchillers.com/margarita.jpg

Suntory Limited. (2005). Web Night Bar. Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.suntory.co.jp/wnb/img/cocktail/ p_long_island_iced_tea.gif

Sword Forge. (2005). Functional Swords. Retrieved April 28, 2005, from http://www.swordforge.co.uk/ images/M1643.jpg

The Ultimate Cate Blanchett Website. (2003). Retrieved April 28, 2005 from http://sc.groups.msn.com/tn/28/D0/ theultimatecateblanchettwebsite/2/7.jpg

Vin- & Cocktailguiden i Sverige AB. (n.d.). Cocktailguiden. Retrieved April 28, 2005, from

http://www.cocktailguiden.com/cocktailbilder/ vanillarussian.jpg.