6.2 Demonstrate knowledge of search logic, search engines and features of the Internet

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Boolean logic
   2. The Boolean operators
   3. Logic diagrams: the AND operator
   4. Logic Diagrams: the OR operator
   5. Logic Diagrams: the NOT operator
   6. Using multiple Boolean operators
   7. Constructing precise Boolean searches
   8. Search engine assumptions
   9. Advanced search facility
   10. Advanced searching on Yahoo
   11. Other points on Boolean searching ...
2. Truncation and wildcards
3. Grammar of the Internet
4. Search engine operation
5. Ownership of the web
6. Dark internet and the invisible web

Using multiple Boolean operators

It is possible to use multiple Boolean operators. For example, security AND internet AND banking narrows down a search on Internet security issues to records which relate only to bank security on the Internet.

1	Boolean Search Your search terms are: wildlife, animals, illness Construct the Boolean search for the following search: Illness in domesticated animals illness AND animals NOT wildlife

2	Boolean Search 2 Construct a Boolean search which would retrieve the following piece of text. We went on a picnic where lemonade and cakes were provided. picnic AND lemonade AND cakes

You can see how the use of Boolean operators allows a very precise search statement to be constructed. This should produce a smaller number but a better focused set of hits from a search engine.

Boolean search logic underlies the operation of all search engines but the various search engines have different systems of entering a Boolean expression. Some allow straightforward search statements using capital letters for AND, OR and NOT. However many do not explicitly allow this, the much used Google being one of them.

Let's have a look at Constructing precise Boolean searches ...