Answered On Last Updated: Jul 07, 2023

What are Boolean search commands and how do I use them?

Boolean search commands are words you can use to make your search more effective when using search tools (such as the UR Library Search - or anywhere Boolean operators are supported, such as on Google).

The most commonly used Boolean operators are:

  • AND: to find results containing all search terms.
  • OR: to find results containing one term or the other. 
  • NOT: excludes a word from a search.

You can use Boolean operators both in basic and advanced search. Remember that Boolean operators are case sensitive.