{"id":740,"date":"2017-04-03T21:25:14","date_gmt":"2017-04-03T21:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/?post_type=chapter&p=740"},"modified":"2017-04-13T18:52:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-13T18:52:03","slug":"search-statements","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/chapter\/search-statements\/","title":{"raw":"Search Statements","rendered":"Search Statements"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\nAt this point in your search process, you are moving from merely identifying main concepts and similar search terms to developing more complicated search statements that can do more precise searching.\r\n

Use Quotation Marks for Phrases<\/h1>\r\nPut quotation marks around any phrases among your terms so that the phrase is what\u2019s searched for, rather than the separate words. \u201cCommon cold\u201d instead of common cold is a good example. Without those quotation marks, just think how many sources Google or other search tools would waste their\/your time on things that have nothing to do with our sniffles.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_395\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1590\"]\"Quotation Putting a phrase in quotes returns results containing that phrase, and not the individual words.[\/caption]\r\n

Use Wildcard and Truncation Symbols to Broaden<\/h1>\r\nConsider whether using wild card or truncating symbols would help find variations of a word(s). For instance, the wildcard symbol in wom?n finds both woman and women, and the truncating symbol in mathematic* finds mathematics, mathematically, mathematician, etc.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_396\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1622\"]\"Asterisks Using wildcard characters allows you to find variations on a word.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n
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ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Wildcards and Truncation<\/h3>\r\nOpen activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Consider AND, OR, NOT<\/h1>\r\nYou can often do more precise searching by combining search terms by using the words AND, OR and NOT. These are known as Boolean Operators. Generally, using these operators narrows your search, making it more precise.\r\n
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_441\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"630\"]\"Venn The Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT exclude or include subsets of sources.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAND<\/strong> \u2013 If the main idea contains 2 or more ideas, you\u2019ll want to use AND to combine them. To look for information about spiders as signs of climate change you\u2019ll want to have both terms in the search and are performing an AND search. That\u2019s what automatically happens in search engines such as Google and Bing unless you tell them to do something different by using OR or NOT.\r\n\r\nOR<\/strong> \u2013 If the main idea has several synonyms, use OR to combine them. Most search tools search for all terms (AND) by default, so you need to use the term OR between terms to let it know you want to find any of the terms. In the previous example of Latino small business growth, we would want to also use the term Hispanic.\r\n\r\nNOT<\/strong> \u2013 If the main idea has a common use you want to exclude, use NOT to exclude that word. For example if we were looking for information about illegal drug use we would want to exclude prescription drugs from the search results. This is commonly done with NOT or the use of the Minus (-) sign. (When using some search tools, use AND NOT before the term.)\r\n

Using Parentheses with Multiple Operators<\/h1>\r\nWhen a search requires the use of more than one Boolean operator, use parentheses to group the terms with each Boolean. Doing that usually involves putting parentheses, quotation marks, and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT or their symbols) in specific places in the search statement. (The operators or symbols used can vary from search tool to search tool, but the concepts are the same.)\r\n\r\nThe resulting arrangements connect terms, remove terms, and organize search terms in complex ways, much like you might write mathematical statements.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_394\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1606\"]\"Parenthesis Parenthesis are used with Boolean operators to combine terms for complex searches.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nBeing skillful at this task of envisioning the effects Boolean operators have on a search can help you troubleshoot your own arrangements when they aren\u2019t turning up what you expected.\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Example:<\/strong> \u201cUnited States\u201d AND (immigration or emigration) Can you tell that the searcher wants to find information about the United States\u2019 immigration or emigration?<\/h4>\r\nThe searcher will find more with this arrangement than would turn up if the arrangement had been \u201cUnited States\u201d immigration emigration. That\u2019s because the latter arrangement without parentheses would find only information that was about both United States immigration and emigration, instead of either.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Example:<\/strong> (cats OR dogs) AND (treatment OR therapy)<\/h4>\r\nCan you tell that the searcher wants to find information about either treatment or therapy for either cats or dogs?\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s a different search from what the searcher would have gotten if this arrangement had been used: cats dogs treatment therapy. Anything found with the later arrangement without parentheses would have had to be about both\u2014 not just either\u2014therapy and treatment for both\u2014not just either\u2014cats and dogs. So the latter arrangement would have turned up fewer pieces of information.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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\r\n

Activity:<\/strong> Search Analysis<\/h3>\r\nOpen activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Practice with Search<\/h1>\r\nTake some time to practice searching precisely \u2013 start by identifying main concepts, then listing related terms (with the help of wildcard and truncation symbols), and finally constructing search statement.\r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Activity:<\/strong> Search Practice<\/h3>\r\nThis example focused on the research question \u201cHow does a person\u2019s diet affect the risk for getting cancer?\u201d Work through the three activities below.\r\n\r\nSearch Terms<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\nTruncation<\/strong>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\nSearch Statements<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n
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Activity:<\/strong> More Search Practice<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nThis example focuses on the research question \u201cWhat is the effect of gamma radiation on crops?\u201d Work through the three activities below.\r\n\r\nMore Search Terms<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\nMore Truncation<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\nMore Search Statements<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
<\/div>","rendered":"
\n

At this point in your search process, you are moving from merely identifying main concepts and similar search terms to developing more complicated search statements that can do more precise searching.<\/p>\n

Use Quotation Marks for Phrases<\/h1>\n

Put quotation marks around any phrases among your terms so that the phrase is what\u2019s searched for, rather than the separate words. \u201cCommon cold\u201d instead of common cold is a good example. Without those quotation marks, just think how many sources Google or other search tools would waste their\/your time on things that have nothing to do with our sniffles.<\/p>\n

\"Quotation<\/p>\n

Putting a phrase in quotes returns results containing that phrase, and not the individual words.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Use Wildcard and Truncation Symbols to Broaden<\/h1>\n

Consider whether using wild card or truncating symbols would help find variations of a word(s). For instance, the wildcard symbol in wom?n finds both woman and women, and the truncating symbol in mathematic* finds mathematics, mathematically, mathematician, etc.<\/p>\n

\"Asterisks<\/p>\n

Using wildcard characters allows you to find variations on a word.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Wildcards and Truncation<\/h3>\n

Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Consider AND, OR, NOT<\/h1>\n

You can often do more precise searching by combining search terms by using the words AND, OR and NOT. These are known as Boolean Operators. Generally, using these operators narrows your search, making it more precise.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Venn<\/p>\n

The Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT exclude or include subsets of sources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

AND<\/strong> \u2013 If the main idea contains 2 or more ideas, you\u2019ll want to use AND to combine them. To look for information about spiders as signs of climate change you\u2019ll want to have both terms in the search and are performing an AND search. That\u2019s what automatically happens in search engines such as Google and Bing unless you tell them to do something different by using OR or NOT.<\/p>\n

OR<\/strong> \u2013 If the main idea has several synonyms, use OR to combine them. Most search tools search for all terms (AND) by default, so you need to use the term OR between terms to let it know you want to find any of the terms. In the previous example of Latino small business growth, we would want to also use the term Hispanic.<\/p>\n

NOT<\/strong> \u2013 If the main idea has a common use you want to exclude, use NOT to exclude that word. For example if we were looking for information about illegal drug use we would want to exclude prescription drugs from the search results. This is commonly done with NOT or the use of the Minus (-) sign. (When using some search tools, use AND NOT before the term.)<\/p>\n

Using Parentheses with Multiple Operators<\/h1>\n

When a search requires the use of more than one Boolean operator, use parentheses to group the terms with each Boolean. Doing that usually involves putting parentheses, quotation marks, and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT or their symbols) in specific places in the search statement. (The operators or symbols used can vary from search tool to search tool, but the concepts are the same.)<\/p>\n

The resulting arrangements connect terms, remove terms, and organize search terms in complex ways, much like you might write mathematical statements.<\/p>\n

\"Parenthesis<\/p>\n

Parenthesis are used with Boolean operators to combine terms for complex searches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Being skillful at this task of envisioning the effects Boolean operators have on a search can help you troubleshoot your own arrangements when they aren\u2019t turning up what you expected.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Example:<\/strong> \u201cUnited States\u201d AND (immigration or emigration) Can you tell that the searcher wants to find information about the United States\u2019 immigration or emigration?<\/h4>\n

The searcher will find more with this arrangement than would turn up if the arrangement had been \u201cUnited States\u201d immigration emigration. That\u2019s because the latter arrangement without parentheses would find only information that was about both United States immigration and emigration, instead of either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Example:<\/strong> (cats OR dogs) AND (treatment OR therapy)<\/h4>\n

Can you tell that the searcher wants to find information about either treatment or therapy for either cats or dogs?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a different search from what the searcher would have gotten if this arrangement had been used: cats dogs treatment therapy. Anything found with the later arrangement without parentheses would have had to be about both\u2014 not just either\u2014therapy and treatment for both\u2014not just either\u2014cats and dogs. So the latter arrangement would have turned up fewer pieces of information.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Activity:<\/strong> Search Analysis<\/h3>\n

Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Practice with Search<\/h1>\n

Take some time to practice searching precisely \u2013 start by identifying main concepts, then listing related terms (with the help of wildcard and truncation symbols), and finally constructing search statement.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Activity:<\/strong> Search Practice<\/h3>\n

This example focused on the research question \u201cHow does a person\u2019s diet affect the risk for getting cancer?\u201d Work through the three activities below.<\/p>\n

Search Terms<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n

Truncation<\/strong>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n

Search Statements<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

Activity:<\/strong> More Search Practice<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n

This example focuses on the research question \u201cWhat is the effect of gamma radiation on crops?\u201d Work through the three activities below.<\/p>\n

More Search Terms<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n

More Truncation<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n

More Search Statements<\/b>\u2014Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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