Re: [LM_NET] Good Boolean search topics

[Steve Bazis <ssaaron@COX.NET>]

When I taught Boolean operators to a group of student workers in our 
college, I gave a simple example of using dolphins and whales, having them 
search using those terms on the computers they were using during class.
dolphins AND whales
dolphins OR whales
dolphins NOT whales

Of course they got more hits with the OR operator, but one has to be careful 
in using the NOT operator with related terms because they might miss 
information that could be helpful to them.  In other words, if one searches 
"dolphins NOT whales" they might miss out on books that have information on 
dolphins, but since the book contains whales also, the book will not show 
up.  On the other hand, having a statement such as "computers AND net NOT 
fishing" will result in information about computers and computer nets but 
leave out anything regarding fishing, even though both terms use nets.

Just something to share; hope it helps.

Steve Bazis
Assistand Director
Rebekah Horton Library
Pensacola, FL
ssaaron@cox.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gayle Hodur" <ghodur@REDSHIFT.COM>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 10:33 AM
Subject: TAR: Good Boolean search topics


> I'm going to be teaching Boolean searching next week and I need some good
> topics that will make sense to our 4th-6th graders. I'm sort of a
> "visiting lecturer," so I don't have the opportunity to tie into whatever
> they are doing in the classroom - I've got to teach this in isolation. I
> need searches that can demonstrate AND, OR and NOT and also the ability to
> force phrase searching with "".
>
>
> ************************************************
> Gayle Hodur
> District Librarian
> Soledad Unified School District
> Soledad, CA  93960
> ghodur@redshift.com
>
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