F.I.R.S.T. Tutorial

Chapter Three: Searching for Information Using a Computer
In this chapter: Defining databases; using search connectors and parentheses; creating search statements

Iona » Academics » Libraries » FIRST Tutorial

Bookmark and Share

Introducing: the search connector AND

AND is the search connector you will use most often.

Use AND to tell the computer: "The keywords in my search strategy depend on one another, so don't show me results that contain one without the other." Here's an example:

You want books about women who practice Islam. Your keywords would be women and islam.

You begin by looking for books in the library's online catalog. First you do a search on women. You find 32,790 books! Ack! A search on Islam finds 2,167 books.

How can you find just those books about women that are also about islam? Use the search connector AND:

women and islam

This search finds 252 books, a much more manageable number. The connector AND narrows your search to a more focused topic. Narrower = fewer results.

 

search results
women 32,790
Islam 2,167
women and islam 252