Library of the Health Sciences - Urbana

Boolean Operators:

Basic commands that expand or limit a search.

AND--All terms joined by AND must occur in the record

NOT--The term following NOT must be absent from the record

"" ""-- Searches for the exact phrase

SAME--The terms joined by SAME must occur in the same record

OR--Any one of the terms joined by OR must occur in the record

NEAR--Searches both terms in the same record

; -- Searchs for either one word or the other in a record

Truncations:

Searches by the root of the word and for anything added onto the trunk of the word

?--For example, enter "child?" to search for child, children, etc.

*--For example, enter "child*" to search for child, children, etc.

$--For example, enter "child$" to search for child,children, etc.

Single-Character Wildcard:

? -- For example, enter "wom?n" to search for woman or women

# -- For example, enter "wom#n" to search for woman or women

* -- For example, enter "wom*n" to search for woman or women

Multiple-Character Wildcard:

Substitue one or more letters to search for alternate spellings

? -- For example, enter "col?r" to search for color or colour

* -- For example, enter "col*r" to search for color or colour

** -- For example, enter "col**r" to search for color or colour