Search Smarter, Not Harder

Truncation, Boolean Searching, and other weirdly-worded tricks of the

trade

www.haywood.edu/library

Sifting through the messAre you frustrated with your search results? Not really sure what you’re looking for?Don’t have time to sort through 10,000+ hits?

Then try some of these search strategies to

achieve better results!

It’s all about the Synonyms• Use a thesaurus to locate alternate words for

your searchesExample: House, Home, Dwelling, Estate

• Check out thesauri in the Library

• Try an online version http://thesaurus.com/

The Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English REF PE 1591 .O89

Roget's II : the New Thesaurus  REF 423.1 R732

Webster's New World Thesaurus REF PE 1591 .L27

What it looks like…

Why do it?There are over 600,000 words in the English Language. Not all researchers and authors use the same terminology. Using alternative words you increase your search results…and may come across new terminology or research you might have overlooked.

Boolean Searching•Developed by George Boole, a 19th century English mathematician

•Originally devised as algebraic concept (but don’t let that scare you)

•Represents relationships between entities (objects, ideas)

•Can narrow or broaden search results

•Boolean Operators to use include AND, OR, NOT

AND

NOTOR

Boolean Searching Continued…AND

Is a connector that requires both search terms to be present in the results list

For example:economy AND China will find information about China’s economy

ORIs a connector that requires either of the search terms to be present in the results list

For example:teenager OR adolescent will find information about either teenagers or adolescents

This is where your synonyms come in handy!

NOTIs a connector that requires the first search term to present only if the results do not contain the second term

For example:Endangered NOT birds will find information about endangered animals while excluding birds

What it looks like…

Why do it?Using Boolean Operators will locate only information that meets only your criteria.

• Searching “endangered” returns 73290 results.• Searching “endangered” AND “appalachia” returns 289results.• Searching “endangered” AND “appalachia” NOT “birds” returns 171

results.

If your research paper concerns endangered animals of Appalachia other than birds, which results list would you want?

Phrase Searching

• Searching with a string of words or phrases

• Use “quotation marks” or (parentheses) to set phrase limits

For Example:“World War II” or (World War II) will return information about only World War II

“ ” ( )

Truncation, Truncation, Truncation

Music*

Musicals Musician Musicality

Conducting searches using just the root of the word will not only speed up your searches, but it may locate information you have overlooked.

1. Cut your search terms down to their rootExample: the root of Education is Educat

2. Use an *asterisk* to indicate truncationExample: Educat* will search for education, educator,

educated, educating…etc.

Always Ask Your Friendly Librarians!

• We have skills, information, resources, and random trivia you never knew existed!

• library@haywood.edu

• www.haywood.edu/library

• (828) 627-4550

Bill Kinyon•Director, Library and Learning Resources

Heather Gillette•Librarian