Search Techniques
Connectors, or Boolean Operators, are words that combine concepts together in a search. These operators allow you to keep your search ("AND"); keep your search broad ("OR); or exclude words from your search.
EXAMPLES:
- Gender AND pay gap= will give you results that include both gender and pay gap.
- Gender OR pay gap=will give you results that include all the words.
- Gender AND pay gap NOT Men=This will give you results that include gender and pay gap but exclude men.
Quotations can be especially useful if you are searching for a phrase. This can also be useful if you are searching an exact match for a title of an article or book. If you don't use quotations the system (internet or library database) will look for each word individually.
EXAMPLES:
- "gender pay gap" (phrase search)
- "Hidden Performance: Salary History and the Gender Pay Gap" (Title of an article)
This technique is using the root or stem of a word and the search will bring back a variety of endings to the word.
EXAMPLES:
rac*= race, races, racism, racial, racialized
educat*=educate, education, educated, educating