A Boolean Operator is a word that communicates search functions to a computer.

AND, OR, and NOT are the Boolean operators used in searching databases to combine search terns and search more efficiently.

AND will produces results that contain BOTH terms.
Yields results that have both terms, "healing" and "Gospels."

OR produces results that contain EITHER term.
Yields all results with "healing," all results with "Gospels.".

NOT results include the first term(s), but eliminates any results with the term following NOT.
For example, healing NOT Gospels, generates results with the term "healing" that do not have the term "Gospel."

Use the chart below to guide you in developing effective search expressions.

Using an Asterisk (*)

The asterisk (*) wildcard, also known as the truncation wildcard, is generally used to find word endings. Enter the root of a search term and replace the ending with the asterisk (*). For example, type nurs* to find the words nurse, nurses, nursed, nursing

Using Quotation Marks

To search a phrase search, enclose the phrase in quotations marks. For example, type "gerontological nursing"

Search Example:

opens new window"geriatric nursing care" - (In Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition)
opens new windowDE "EVIDENCE-based nursing" - (In Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; DE=descriptor or subject)
opens new windowDE "EVIDENCE-based nursing" AND DE "GERIATRIC nursing"

opens new window"gerontological nurs*" - (In MEDLINE and CINAHL Complete; Limiters - Evidence-Based Practice and Randomized Controlled Trials)

opens new window"evidence based nursing" AND ( elderly or aged or geriatric ) - (In MEDLINE and CINAHL; Limiters - EBP and RCT)

opens new windowevidence-based AND ( elderly or aged or geriatric ) AND ( (patient or person) centered ) - (In MEDLINE and CINAHL; Limiters - EBP and RCT)
opens new windowevidence-based AND ( elderly or aged or geriatric ) AND ( (patient or person) cent* ) - ( cent* finds centered and centric )

EBSCO's database interface provides limiters and options on the Advanced Search to assist you with more target searching.

In an EBSCO database, such as opens new windowMEDLINE or opens new windowCINAHL:

1. Click the Advanced Search link below the find boxes.
2. Enter your terms in the text boxes on the Advanced Search screen. (As needed, choose a different search field from the optional Select a Field drop-down list)
3. Choose and mark the search limiters, such as Evidence-Based Practice, Publication Type, Age Groups, Geographic Subset, Clinical Queries, and more.
4. Click the Search button to display the results.