Q. How do Boolean operators function in LibSearch?

Boolean operators can help improve the quality and quantity of your search results. They must be typed in ALL CAPS to function correctly.

AND - Use AND to narrow down your search results. Each search result will contain all of the terms that you searched.

• Ex: climate change AND drones

OR - Use OR to expand your search results. Each result will contain at least one of the terms you searched.

• Ex: climate change OR global warming

• If you use OR in a search query with AND, be sure to nest terms using OR inside parentheses.

  • Ex: United States AND (climate change OR global warming)

NOT - Use NOT to exclude terms from your results. 

• Ex: plasma NOT blood

Learn more about Boolean operators and additional search syntax from EBSCO:

• Searching with Boolean Operators

• How can I ensure that searches that include unintended Boolean operators will return the appropriate results?

• What are the Precision Operator and Precision Distance options in the EBSCOadmin Search Modes settings?