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Intro:
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| Boolean logic, the system used for searching traditional databases, employs words such as "OR," "AND," "NOT," and "NEAR" (usually in capital letters). The commands listed in this 2torial create results similar to Boolean commands and are considered by Internet experts to be easier to use. Also, not all search engines respond to Boolean commands, unless you're using an advanced search option. If you want to keep a page handy, add it to your "Bookmarks" or "Favorites" menu. See your browser's Help section for details. |
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You've mastered the one word search and learned a little about the scale of the Internet. Now, how do you refine your search? Begin by adding words and symbols. Use the "+" symbol. Say you're researching the movie star Cary Grant. But you don't want to access pages on just Cary Grant, you want to access pages that mention his work with the actress Katharine Hepburn. To program the search engine to list pages that include both these movie stars, use single words and the "+" symbol, like this: +Grant +Hepburn. Don't put a space between the symbol and the word, but do put a space between each symbol/word combination. Add even more elements. If you want to research Grant and Hepburn's contributions to screwball comedy, add to the equation this way: +Grant +Hepburn +screwball +comedy. (Step 3 explains how to search for phrases such as "screwball comedy" or full names such as "Cary Grant" in more detail.) Delete elements. Sometimes, the search engine will list webpages that discuss your subject in conjunction with elements you don't need. For instance, say you're researching Bob Dylan, but you don't want to know anything about his career as a folk singer; instead you want to research Dylan the rock-and-roll star. To get around this, you'd use the "-" symbol, and would type in the command: Dylan -folk.
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Add or delete elements
