Exercise 5
Keyword searching and Boolean logic
1. Go to the COCC catalog.
Search A: Start with
a keyword search typing in: pigs
How many results did you get?
How many of the results are relevant?
Search B: Now do a Subject search in the
COCC catalog. Again, type in pigs
What did the catalog tell you?
How many results did you eventually get
on the subject?
How many of the results are relevant?
Which search worked the best A or B?
Can you explain why?
2. You are doing a keyword search and you want to retrieve results with variations of the word crime, such as crime, crimes, criminals, criminals, etc.
State here how you would type in your search term:
3. You want to use the terms labor unions in your search. How would you type them?
a. labor and unions
b. "labor unions"
4. Which of the following searches will retrieve the fewest results?
a. airplane AND security
b. airplane AND security AND terror*
5. If your research question had to do with water pollution in rivers or lakes, which of the searches below would be the best search?
a. water AND pollut* AND (rivers OR lakes)
b. water AND pollut* AND rivers AND lakes
c. (water OR pollut*) AND (rivers OR lakes)
6. You want to research the topic: what is the stance of the Catholic Church on female priests?
Follow the steps below: