SECTION 3: USING SEARCH ENGINES EFFECTIVELY

BOOLEAN LOGIC: AND/OR

Another way to get the best results from search engines is to experiment with BOOLEAN LOGIC -- AND, OR.

AND is the same as the "1. with all of the words" option. Using an AND between search terms means that both or all of the search terms must appear in the retrieved Web sites.

Using an AND will find the search terms in any order, anywhere on the Web site unless you use other ADVANCED FEATURES to select a "phrase" or select where in the site the search terms appear.

AND Examples:

hiv and pregnancy	Finds Web sites that includes both of the words "hiv" and "pregnancy".
aids and pain control	Finds Web sites that includes both "aids" and the phrase "pain control". Some search engines would require you to put "quotes" around the phrase. Always check the Advanced Search options to find out for sure whether the quotes are required.
hiv and treatment and drugs	Finds Web sites that includes all of the terms "hiv" and "treatment" and "drugs". Remember that these terms can appear in any order anywhere on the site (unless we apply other Advanced Search features).

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