Page 190 - Keys to College Success

KEY 6.8 Perform an effective keyword search with Boolean logic.

IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR . . . DO THIS . . . EXAMPLE
A word Type the word normally. aid
A phrase Type the phrase in its normal word order (use regular word spacing) or financial aid, “financial
surround the phrase with quotation marks (“x”). aid”
Quotation marks ensure the search engine finds the words together in the
same phrase, rather than the individual words on the same page.

Two or more keywords without Type the words in any order, surrounding the words with quotation marks. “financial aid” and
regard to order Use and to separate the words. “scholarships”

Topic A and topic B Type the words in any order, surrounding the words with quotation marks. “financial aid” and
Use and to separate the words. “scholarships”
The search engine will list a result only if it contains BOTH topics A and B.

Topic A or topic B Type the words in any order, surrounding the words with quotation marks. “financial aid” or
Use or to separate the words. The search engine will list a result if it contains “scholarships”
EITHER A or B.

Topic A but not topic B Type topic A first within quotation marks, and then topic B within quotation “financial aid” not
marks. Use not to separate the words. The search engine will list a result if it “scholarships”
contains only Topic A and does not contain Topic B.

the Librarian’s Index to the Internet (www.lii.org) and InfoMine (www.infomine.com).
At these well-vetted academic directories, only reputable and regularly updated sources
are listed.
In addition, your school may provide access to nonpublic academic search engines.
LexusNexus, InfoTrac, GaleGroup, OneFile, and other such reputable sites catalog vast
amounts of information. Check with your school’s library to see how to access these sites.

Use a search strategy
The World Wide Web has been called “the world’s greatest library, with all its books
on the floor.” With no librarian in sight, you need to master a practical Internet
search strategy.

1. Use natural language phrases or keywords to identify what you are looking for.
University of Michigan professor Eliot Soloway recommends phrasing your search
in the form of a question, identifying the important words in the question as well
as related words. You then have a collection of terms to use in different combina-
tions as you search (see example below). 12
Initial question: What vaccines are given to children before age 5?
Important words: vaccines, children, before age 5
Related words: polio, shot, pediatrics
Final search criteria (important + related words): vaccines children “before age 5”
“polio shot” pediatrics
Note: By putting terms in quotes, you tell the search engine that the words
must appear next to one another, rather than at different locations on the same Reading, Research, and Writing
web page.

2. Use a search engine to isolate valuable sites. Enter your questions, phrases, and
keywords in various combinations to generate lists of hits. Vary word order to

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