Boolean is a set of commands that can be used in almost every search engine, database, or online catalogue. The most popular Boolean commands are AND, OR, and NOT. Other commands include parentheses, truncation, and phrases.
Please see U of T's FAQs on Boolean Operators for additional information.
Using Boolean command NOT in your search tells the search engine to give you results that contain the word(s) you entered except the word following NOT.
Psychology NOT Developmental: any results that contain the word "psychology" will appear in your results list except those results that also contain the word "developmental".
Created by the University of Toronto Library, as part of the Boolean Searching FAQs.
LibrarySearch is a tool you can use to find resources to support your learning, teaching, and research. Use this guide to help you navigate the new system and use Ask Chat for help overcoming search challenges as they come up. To learn more advanced research strategies tailored to your specific needs, please contact the library or book a consultation with a librarian.
LibrarySearch provides access to library collections in print and digital formats including books, articles, videos, maps, government documents, music, data sets, and more. You can also discover materials that are not available at U of T but that you can request for free through interlibrary loan.
Use LibrarySearch when you want to find:
If you find it difficult to narrow your results, consider using a subject-specific database or see what is recommended in one of the many Research Guides.
Basic Search is a simple interface that allows you to enter and search any word or phrase.
As soon as you start typing in the search box, a drop-down menu will appear allowing you to choose the kind of search you prefer.
Each option will narrow your results to a specific item format (Eg. articles) or to a specific collection (Eg. Catalogue).
| Everything | Select this option for a list of results that combines all of the following options |
|---|---|
| Catalogue | Select this option for results that include books, e-books, journals, and other materials owned or licensed by U of T |
| Articles | Select this option for results that include articles on many scholarly and professional topics |
The search you enter can be very simple, without using any expert techniques.
If you are a more experienced researcher, Basic Search also allows you to use search operators that broaden or narrow your results.
If you would like to learn more about using "search operators" to improve your results, visit the Advanced Search page of this guide or book a consultation with a librarian.
If you would like additional options to help you narrow your search to the most relevant results, select Advanced Search.
If your topic needs more than a single word or phrase to describe, the Advanced Search interface can help you build that more complex search.
When opening Advanced Search, you will see two lines where a search term can be entered. You also have the option of adding additional lines.
Once you have entered your search terms, you can also place limits on how and where the database searches. Each downward pointing arrow in the following image provides a different way of modifying your search.
Using the drop down menus on the left side, you can tell the database where in the item records you would like to look for each search term. For instance, you can limit your search to locate your keyword in titles or author names as illustrated in the following image. Click on any drop down menu to see what options it provides.
Using the drop down menus on the right side, you can tell the database to only include items in your results that adhere to a specific criteria. For instance, using the format menu you can ask to only see results that fit a specific format like books or articles.
Using the language menu, you can ask to see only results that are published in a specific language.
And by using the date menus, you can limit your results to items published during a specific period of time.
Bringing together multiple options allows you to build that more complex search required by your research topic.
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