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| Home > Search Techniques > 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 | Definitions |
After you have compiled your list of keywords to describe the important concepts in your research, you may want to combine them with connectors to make a logical search statement. These are the most common connectors:
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Connector |
When to use it |
What it does |
Example |
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And (+) |
Narrow your search by linking concepts | All terms must appear in results | advertising AND body image |
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Or |
Expand your search to multiple concepts or combine synonyms | Either term may appear in the results | anorexia OR bulimia |
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Not |
Narrow your search by excluding specific terms | Excludes a particular term | eating disorders NOT obesity |
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Adj |
Search for words that appear together | Words must be neighboring | Media ADJ influence |
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Near |
Search for words that both appear in the same field | Search the specified field for both words | Title=anorexia NEAR counseling |
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() Parentheses |
Create complex search | Link multiple search concepts at one time | (Media or advertising) and teenagers |
You can use multiple connectors in a complex search statement. Use parentheses to
group terms that belong together. For example,
(body image OR self esteem) AND (eating disorders NOT obesity)
Using AND, OR, and NOT to create logical search statements is also known as Boolean searching.Connect to a Rockwell Shrock's Boolean Machine.
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Try It: Connect to PsycINFO to try several searches using the concepts and connectors described above. |