CRJU 3020: Research Methods In Criminal Justice

When searching a database consider using the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT to join the terms in your search. When linking terms with Boolean Operators you are building an equation. In other words you are telling the database how your search terms should relate to one another.

Let's look at each operator one at a time...

AND : If you join your terms with AND, then all of your terms must be in each record of your results list. Joining terms with AND will narrow your search results.

As in: Automobile Theft AND Atlanta 

Each record within your results list will include BOTH terms.

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OR : If you join your terms with OR, then either of your terms or both terms will be included in your results list. Joining terms with OR will broaden your search results.

As in: Fear OR Phobia ; College OR University

Make sure the terms you link with OR are related - think, synonyms.

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NOT : If you join your terms with NOT, then one of your terms will be excluded from your results list.

As in: College Students AND Drinking patterns NOT Binge

This search will return records that have both College Students AND  Drinking Patterns  however if the term Binge appears in the record it will be excluded from your results list.