Research FAQs: Search Cheats

Boolean Searching: You may already be searching this way and not know it. Here is how Boolean searching works:

• AND: "Physical Fitness" AND "Christian Worldview"  searches for materials that contain both phrases
• OR: "Physical Fitness" OR "Exercise" searches for materials that contain either phrase
• NOT:  "Physical Fitness" NOT "Christian Worldview" searches for material on "physical fitness" that does not mention "Christian worldview"

Wildcard Searching:  Using an asterisk (*) or a question mark (?) while searching can be great ways of expanding your search or searching a topic multiple ways at once.

• Asterisk searching: environment* (searches for environmental, environment, environments... all at the same time)
• Asterisk searching: Politi* (searches for politics, political, politicians... all at the same time)
• Question mark searching: wom?n (will search for both woman or women)