Using the CINAHL and MeSH headings, keywords and keyphrases you have identified in the "Determining your Research Vocabulary" module, you will now learn how to construct a Boolean search strategy using Boolean search logic.
WCSU Librarian Joan M. Reitz, in her book ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science (2004), defines Boolean logic as a system that
allows the user to combine words or phrases representing significant concepts when searching an online catalog or bibliographic database by keywords.
In the Boolean system, there are three logical commands operators: AND, OR, and NOT. It usually doesn't matter if you enter the operators in lower case or upper case. Almost every database search system accepts the Boolean.
| The AND command is used to narrow search results. Each time another concept is added using "and," the search becomes more specific. In most online databases, keywords will be searched as a phrase if not separated by "and." | The OR command is used to expand retrieval by including synonyms and related terms in the query. | The NOT command is used to exclude unwanted records from search results. Use with care only when necessary! |
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| Ex. osteoarthritis and relief of pain | Ex. osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease | Ex. osteoarthritis not hip |
| Ex. "nursing shortage" and "baby boomers" | Ex. warfarin or cumedin | Ex. "nursing careers" not "home health care" |
PLEASE NOTE: the purple area is your set of database results (articles you want to see)
