

Boolean search terms should thus be covered in detail in any recruiting training session. If recruiters are comfortable with Boolean search keywords, they can find candidates who are a good fit for the position they are attempting to fill more quickly.įurthermore, candidates that would not be discovered using conventional search techniques can be located using Boolean search terms.

See the example in the image below:īoolean operators must be typed in upper case (capital) letters when typed in the search box.Boolean Search organizes and filters your searches using a mix of keywords and the three primary Boolean operators (AND, OR, and NOT).

This way, you can connect your different concepts using AND (as each line will have words related to a single concepts) in between each line and add your alternative terms in the line by adding OR in between each synonym or terms.

The general practice is to select "AND" on the dropdown menu and manually type the "OR" operator in the search boxes. In Discovery Search, Boolean Operators are placed on the left side of the search box in a dropdown menu where you can choose the appropriate one. Use of Boolean Operators/Commands in Discovery In a search where you would like to exclude sources which have a mention of a term in relation to another, you could use NOT. NOT operator narrows your search and returns fewer results. This means they both have equal value and your search could return papers that has mention of one or the other or both. In the example displayed on the right Higher Education combined with University using OR operator. You could connect similar terms, those could be: Using OR you can connect two or more similar concepts. OR operator broadens your search and returns more results. For instance, if a paper mentions only Leadership but not Social Work, it will not appear in your search results.
Boolean search and plus#
In theory, this should return results that mention both Leadership plus Social Work. For example, Leadership AND Social Work (see image) combined in the same search using AND. In a search where you would like to find sources that cover multiple concepts, you should use AND. In academic search engines like Discovery, these are not simply words but logical commands, and each has its distinctive function.ĪND operator narrows your search and returns fewer results.
