Information Literacy Learning Guides

Key Concepts           Redefining Your Topic

• AND, OR, NOT, (also called Boolean Operators) are a way of broadening or narrowing a search. To add or exclude words, use Boolean operators or plus (and) and minus (or) signs.
• AND searches require the computer to find both terms on the same page. Some search engines accept a plus sign (+) in place of the word AND.
• OR is the broadest Boolean search. Either word will satisfy the search. OR can be used for synonyms to a concept, for instance adolescent OR teenage violence. A comma or just a space can indicate OR as well as the word.
• NOT is used to eliminate things from a broader category. For instance, violence NOT domestic will find of all kinds violence except domestic violence.

Click here to Practice what you have learned about redefining your topic.