Boolean Searching

Recruiting Effectively

The primary method to find information in a database is to conduct a "search" through text-based searching.

The most advanced and configurable form is Boolean searching.

Boolean searching is named after a British mathematician, George BooleFormulated precise queries using true/false connectors and "operators" between conceptsThis has become the conventional way searches are conducted on computerized systems

Primary operators or "Boolean Operators":

And
Or
And
Not
Near
*
And
=

narrows search and retrieves records containing all of the words it separates %uF0E0 e.g. unix and oracleOr = broadens search and retrieves records containing any of the words it separates %uF0E0 e.g. unix or oracleNot = narrows search and retrieves records that do not contain the term following it %uF0E0 e.g. unix and not oracleNear = finds words within 10 -15 words (depending on the database) of each other %uF0E0 e.g., unix near oracle (retrieves records that contain unix and oracle in any order and within a 10 - 15 word radius of one other.)* = Wildcard Truncation. This expands a search term to include all forms of the root word%uF0E0 e.g., admin* retrieves administer, administrator, administration, administering, etc." " = indicates an exact phrase;%uF0E0 e.g. "project manager"( ) - groups words or phrases when combining Boolean phrases;%uF0E0 e.g., (oracle or "sql server") and (solaris or linux)