{"id":3321,"date":"2023-05-29T12:20:42","date_gmt":"2023-05-29T11:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/?p=3321"},"modified":"2023-05-15T13:39:26","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T12:39:26","slug":"a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\">Improve your search results with Boolean search operators.<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;color: #ff6600\">Introduction to Boolean<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>First off, what the heck is Boolean you may be asking? Boolean search operators are simple terms like AND, OR and NOT or modifiers like quotation marks \u201c\u201d, parentheses () or an asterix*. You use these in conjunction with your search terms to help narrow down your search.<\/p>\n<p>Most search engines, databases and of course library catalogues allow you to use these when looking for books or articles.<\/p>\n<h4><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Top Tip 1: AND<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This makes sure that your search results include all the words you need.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">e.g. Zombies <strong>AND<\/strong> Aliens<\/p>\n<p>It will remove any results that do not contain all these terms.<\/p>\n<h4><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Top Tip 2: NOT<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This is a great option for editing out results when searching.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">e.g. Apocalypse <strong>AND<\/strong> Zombies <strong>NOT<\/strong> Aliens<\/p>\n<h4><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Top Tip 3: Quotation marks \u201c\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Quotation marks are one of my favourite search modifiers. Use them to make sure you have an exact match returned. This can be handy for a book or article title if you know exactly what you are looking for.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">e.g. \u201cBrave new world\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Top Tip 4: Asterix *<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This little \u201cstar\u201d is better known as a wildcard and is a pro tip for those who struggle with spelling or want to find results with a variation of the keyword.<\/p>\n<p>e.g. If you use it with say the word Develop* it will return results including \u201cdevelopment,\u201d \u201cdeveloper,\u201d and \u201cdeveloping.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Top Tip 5: Parentheses ()<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>This is where you can start to get fancy! Use parentheses to group together keywords and control the order they will be searched for.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">e.g. (Alien OR Zombie) AND Apocalypse<\/p>\n<p>Now there is another Boolean operator <strong>OR<\/strong> (seen above helping out the zombie and alien search) which didn\u2019t make the top 5 but is definitely top 6. Use <strong>OR<\/strong> to allow results using multiple keywords.<\/p>\n<p>e.g. (Aliens OR Zombies OR Kittens) AND Apocalypse.<\/p>\n<h6><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;color: #ff6600\">Combining Terms<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n<p>The best thing about Boolean is it allows you to combine all these operators to make highly specific searches saving you time and effort trawling through pages of results.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\">e.g. (Aliens OR Zombies) AND Apocalypse AND \u201cTuesday Morning\u201d Start*<\/p>\n<h5><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;color: #ff6600\">LibrarySearch<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Our<a href=\"http:\/\/librarysearch.napier.ac.uk\"> LibrarySearch Library catalogue<\/a> helps you to get started with this. Simply click on \u201cAdvanced Search\u201d and you will see options to use Boolean operators.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3332\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/librarysearch-boolean\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/Librarysearch-boolean.png?fit=459%2C256&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"459,256\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/Librarysearch-boolean.png?fit=300%2C167&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/Librarysearch-boolean.png?fit=459%2C256&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3332 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/Librarysearch-boolean.png?resize=459%2C256&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screenshot of Librarysearch Boolean search operators\" width=\"459\" height=\"256\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 459px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 459\/256;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So why not give them a go today!<\/p>\n<p>By Juliet Kinsey<\/p>\n<p>Read more study tips in our <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2022\/12\/09\/preparing-for-exams\/\">article on preparing for exams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks Improve your search results with Boolean search operators. Introduction to Boolean First off, what the heck is Boolean you may be asking? Boolean search operators are simple terms like AND, OR and NOT or modifiers like quotation marks \u201c\u201d, parentheses () or an asterix*. You use [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":301,"featured_media":3335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[682,683,686,587,115,101,688,61,684,685,508,77,687,102,24],"class_list":["post-3321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-library-information","tag-boolean","tag-boolean-search-operators","tag-coursework","tag-edinburgh-napier-university-library","tag-help","tag-help-with-study","tag-how-to-guide","tag-introduction","tag-modifiers","tag-searching-tips","tag-student-guide","tag-students","tag-study-tips","tag-studying","tag-university","post-preview"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks - The Library Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks for getting better results! Check out our simple guide to improving your searches\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks - The Library Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks for getting better results! Check out our simple guide to improving your searches\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Library Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-29T11:20:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"julietkinsey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ednaplib\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ednaplib\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"julietkinsey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"julietkinsey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c165661292d592acfc39833114ff2088\"},\"headline\":\"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-29T11:20:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":417,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/83\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Boolean\",\"Boolean search operators\",\"Coursework\",\"Edinburgh Napier University Library\",\"help\",\"Help with Study\",\"How to guide\",\"introduction\",\"modifiers\",\"searching tips\",\"Student Guide\",\"Students\",\"Study tips\",\"Studying\",\"university\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Library Information\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks - The Library Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/83\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-29T11:20:42+00:00\",\"description\":\"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks for getting better results! Check out our simple guide to improving your searches\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/83\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/83\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"banner image for A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/29\\\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Library Blog\",\"description\":\"Edinburgh Napier University Library blog. Filled with useful and fun blog articles on using the Library, the University, Edinburgh and many other fun topics.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Edinburgh Napier University Library\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/83\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/Untitled-design.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/83\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/Untitled-design.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Edinburgh Napier University Library\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ednaplib\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/enu_library\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c165661292d592acfc39833114ff2088\",\"name\":\"julietkinsey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c753c87c2f36f0d36dcdc58396b77d3ce9108debd43f1a0620b2b7cf61548687?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c753c87c2f36f0d36dcdc58396b77d3ce9108debd43f1a0620b2b7cf61548687?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c753c87c2f36f0d36dcdc58396b77d3ce9108debd43f1a0620b2b7cf61548687?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"julietkinsey\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/library\\\/author\\\/julietkinsey\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks - The Library Blog","description":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks for getting better results! Check out our simple guide to improving your searches","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks - The Library Blog","og_description":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks for getting better results! Check out our simple guide to improving your searches","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/","og_site_name":"The Library Blog","article_published_time":"2023-05-29T11:20:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"julietkinsey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ednaplib","twitter_site":"@ednaplib","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"julietkinsey","Estimated reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/"},"author":{"name":"julietkinsey","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#\/schema\/person\/c165661292d592acfc39833114ff2088"},"headline":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks","datePublished":"2023-05-29T11:20:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/"},"wordCount":417,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","keywords":["Boolean","Boolean search operators","Coursework","Edinburgh Napier University Library","help","Help with Study","How to guide","introduction","modifiers","searching tips","Student Guide","Students","Study tips","Studying","university"],"articleSection":["Library Information"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/","name":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks - The Library Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","datePublished":"2023-05-29T11:20:42+00:00","description":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks for getting better results! Check out our simple guide to improving your searches","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","width":1600,"height":900,"caption":"banner image for A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2023\/05\/29\/a-quick-guide-to-using-boolean-top-5-tricks\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Quick Guide to Using Boolean: Top 5 Tricks"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/","name":"The Library Blog","description":"Edinburgh Napier University Library blog. Filled with useful and fun blog articles on using the Library, the University, Edinburgh and many other fun topics.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#organization","name":"Edinburgh Napier University Library","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2021\/05\/Untitled-design.png?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Edinburgh Napier University Library"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/ednaplib","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/enu_library\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/#\/schema\/person\/c165661292d592acfc39833114ff2088","name":"julietkinsey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c753c87c2f36f0d36dcdc58396b77d3ce9108debd43f1a0620b2b7cf61548687?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c753c87c2f36f0d36dcdc58396b77d3ce9108debd43f1a0620b2b7cf61548687?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c753c87c2f36f0d36dcdc58396b77d3ce9108debd43f1a0620b2b7cf61548687?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"julietkinsey"},"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/author\/julietkinsey\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/05\/top-tips.jpg?fit=1600%2C900&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3483,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2026\/02\/22\/from-ancient-scrolls-to-digital-archives\/","url_meta":{"origin":3321,"position":0},"title":"From Ancient Scrolls to Digital Archives","author":"julietkinsey","date":"22\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"From Ancient Scrolls to Digital Archives: Tracing the Evolution of Library Databases and Primary Sources The Importance of Primary Sources In the realm of historical research, primary sources play a vital role in uncovering the truth behind significant events and shaping our understanding of the past. These original documents, artefacts,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Databases&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Databases","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/databases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"photo of card catalogue for blog post: From Ancient Scrolls to Digital Archives","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/08\/jan-antonin-kolar-lRoX0shwjUQ-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C444&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/08\/jan-antonin-kolar-lRoX0shwjUQ-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C444&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2023\/08\/jan-antonin-kolar-lRoX0shwjUQ-unsplash.jpg?fit=640%2C444&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4186,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2024\/10\/07\/an-introduction-to-library-search\/","url_meta":{"origin":3321,"position":1},"title":"An introduction to Library Search.","author":"mayagreen","date":"07\/10\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"An introduction to Library Search. Now that the returning students are back and classes underway again. We thought it would be good to have a quick introduction to the university\u2019s Library Search system. This provides the best way for you to access the study materials you need for your coursework.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Library Information&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Library Information","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/library-information\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"requesting a book","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2024\/10\/Picture8.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2024\/10\/Picture8.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2024\/10\/Picture8.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2195,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2024\/10\/08\/a-quick-guide-to-finding-a-book-with-librarysearch\/","url_meta":{"origin":3321,"position":2},"title":"A Quick Guide to Finding a Book with LibrarySearch","author":"julietkinsey","date":"08\/10\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Finding a book with LibrarySearch Are deadlines coming up? Assignments due? And Google just won\u2019t do. Our quick guide to finding a book with LibrarySearch that will save the day! There are books, journals, peer-reviewed articles and much more. We have over 225 databases, 33 000 journals, 100 000 books\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Library Information&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Library Information","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/library-information\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"librarysearch screenshot","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/Librarysearch-sign-in-300x62.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/Librarysearch-sign-in-300x62.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2022\/03\/Librarysearch-sign-in-300x62.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4329,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2025\/01\/22\/use-library-search-your-map-to-academic-success\/","url_meta":{"origin":3321,"position":3},"title":"Use Library Search \u2013 your map to academic success","author":"julietkinsey","date":"22\/01\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Use Library Search \u2013 your map to academic success Navigating the vast array of resources available in an academic library can be daunting. Fortunately, the library catalogue is here to help. Think of our Library Search as your map to discovering a wealth of academic materials that will show you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Library Information&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Library Information","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/library-information\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Use Library Search \u2013 your map to academic success","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2024\/10\/LSh.png?fit=602%2C230&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2024\/10\/LSh.png?fit=602%2C230&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2024\/10\/LSh.png?fit=602%2C230&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1399,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2021\/08\/16\/welcome-to-the-library-introduction-sessions\/","url_meta":{"origin":3321,"position":4},"title":"Welcome to the Library: Introduction Sessions","author":"julietkinsey","date":"16\/08\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the Online Library This session will give you a quick introduction to using Edinburgh Napier University Library resources online. We'll demonstrate how to: Find ebooks using LibrarySearch. Find ejournal articles using LibrarySearch, and where to find specialist academic databases Download the correct citation and permalink for items so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Edinburgh Napier University\"","block_context":{"text":"Edinburgh Napier University","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/tag\/edinburgh-napier-university\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"welcome sign outside library","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2021\/08\/one-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4833,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/2025\/09\/10\/library-search\/","url_meta":{"origin":3321,"position":5},"title":"Library Search","author":"mayagreen","date":"10\/09\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Library Search During your time at Napier, you\u2019ll find that by far one of the most important tools to help in your studies is our university Library Search. Library Search is the search engine you can use to browse the library catalogue here at Napier. This includes giving you information\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Library Information&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Library Information","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/category\/library-information\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/09\/library-search.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/09\/library-search.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/09\/library-search.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/09\/library-search.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2025\/09\/library-search.png?fit=1200%2C516&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pd3KWU-Rz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3321"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3337,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3321\/revisions\/3337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}