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Tutorial on Library Research

Contact: Nathan Mueller (nmueller@nvcc.edu)

Learning Outcomes

After reading the section and watching the two videos on this page, you should be able to: 

  1. Identify the person after whom Boolean operators and modifiers are named. 
  2. Identify the three main Boolean operators and explain how they work. 
  3. Identify the three main Boolean modifiers and explain how they work.

The content on this page supports the following frame(s) from the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education : 

  1. Searching as Strategic Exploration

George Boole

The videos below discuss how to use Boolean operators and Boolean modifiers to improve your searching. The operators and modifiers are named after George Boole , an English mathematician. 

Video: Boolean Operators

McMaster University Libraries. (2016, November 28). How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Operators (AND OR NOT) [Video]. YouTube.

Video: Boolean Modifiers

McMaster University Libraries. (2016, November 28). How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Modifiers "", *, ( ) [Video]. YouTube.