In addition to using the best keywords, you can increase the effectiveness of your search by using:

1. Boolean operators
2. Phrase searching
3. Truncation

Boolean Operators

Boolean operators, AND, OR, and NOT, are used to combine your keywords. 

AND is used to connect different concepts: "social media" AND "protest movement"

Using AND to connect keywords willdecrease your search result numbers, or narrow your search, because the database is searching for sources that containall of the keywords connected by AND.

OR is used to connect similar concepts:"social media" OR"social networking site" ORFacebook

Using OR to connect similar words willincrease your search result numbers, or broaden your search, because the database is searching for sources that containat least one of the keywords connected by OR.

NOT will remove any search results that contain a particular keyword: "social media" NOTPinterest

Using NOT willdecrease the number of search results, or narrow our search, because the database willexclude resources with the specified keyword(s) from the results list. 

Phrase Searching

Enclose your keywords inquotation marks to search for an exact phrase:

• "social media"
• "supermassive black hole"

Truncation

Truncation allows you to account for words with variations.

The asterisk(*) is commonly used to truncate a keyword. Place the * where you would like to account for variation: 

• educat* will retrieve:educate, educated, educating, educator,and education
• *cautionwill retrievecaution, precaution
• behavi*rwill retrieve behavior, behaviour