5.1 Boolean operators
Having identified the key concepts in your topic and obtained background information in Planning your research, it's now time to start constructing a search strategy.
Computer search engines, such as catalogues and databases, require you to enter your search terms in precise ways.
Connecting words, also known as Boolean operators, tell the computer which keywords you want your results to include or exclude. The most common Boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT.
You can also use special characters on your keyboard, known as truncation symbols or wildcards, to search for variations on the spelling of a word, alternative endings of a word, or singular and plural forms.
Look at the following animations to see how Boolean operators work. We'll be using the keywords from the essay question:
"What impact has the Internet and the Web had on love or romance?"