Information searching

There are different search techniques that can be used when searching in library databases. Some can be used when searching with Google Scholar as well.

Boolean operators

Boolean operators enables different ways of combining your search words.  

Limit your search with AND and NOT

With AND you ensure that the documents in the search result contains both search words. The Boolean operator NOT is helpful when you want to narrow your search result and avoid content that’s not relevant to your specific focus. 

• auditing AND quality, when you want to find information on audit quality. 
• Apple NOT fruit, when you want to find information on Apple Corporation, not on growing apples. 
• social media NOT Instagram, when you search for information on social media but is not interested in Instagram.

Widen your search with OR

.OR can be used when you e.g. want to include synonyms or terminology in several languages.

• efficiency OR productivity
• CSR OR corporate social responsibility

Combine boolean operators AND and OR in the same search

The boolean logic emanates from AND being stronger than OR. When using AND and OR in the same search, place the search words that are combined with OR in the same search field and manually write OR between the words. You can also use parentheses to define the logic correctly.

• accounting AND (artificial intelligence OR AI OR machine learning)

Combine boolean operators with other search techniques

You can combine your searches with boolean operators, phrase searches and truncation in different ways. 

• "artificial intelligence" OR AI

If your search term consists of two or more words, you can limit your search by using phrase search. The words will appear together in the search result. You achieve this by adding quotation marks around the words. 

• "family firms"
• "corporate sustainability"
• "artificial intelligence"

Search with root words to include different forms or endings of words in your search result. You end the word with adding a truncation mark. This is usually ? or *. 

• audit* = audits, auditing, auditors
• strateg* = strategy, strategies, strategic, strategical

Searching in Hanna? Check out more search tips!

Sometimes your search result is so large that it's impossible to go through all the material and sometimes you don't get any or very few search hits. The list below helps you improve your searches.