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Rider University Library

CMP-125 (Ionescu, Spring 2025)

Prof. Iwona Ionescu

Search Rules

1. Phrase search: Use " " to keep two or more words together as a phrase

  • "New Yorkers"
  • "international student athletes"

2. Truncation: *   Most databases use the asterisk ( * ) to search variation of word endings

  • success* - success, successes, successful
  • school* -school, schools, schooled, schooling, schoology, schoolbag, schoolchild, schoolmate, schoolmaster, schoolboy, schoolmistress, schoolgirl...

3. Boolean Operators (Video)

AND-reduces your search results by adding different concepts

  • "rocket league" AND gaming
  • "gym goers" AND weightlifting
  • "student athletes" AND "hip hop music"

OR-increases your search results by adding similar concepts

  • "Gacha gaming" OR "loot box"  OR "random draw gaming" OR "pull based gaming"
  • "animal watcher" OR "wildlife observer" OR "animal lover" OR "wildlife watcher"
  • "dog rescuers" OR "canine rescues" OR "dog saviors"

Not-eliminate a concept

  • "toxic chemicals" not chlorine
  • insurance not "life insurance"

4. User Brackets for Logical Execution of Your Search Statement

  • female student* AND (business major OR MBA OR accounting OR finance OR management)

  • animal watcher* OR animal lover* OR wildlife watcher* OR wildlife observer*

  • (cannabis OR weed OR marijuana) AND "recreational use"

  • (Jamaican american OR Jamaican heritage OR Jamaican descent OR Jamaican descendant) AND (cooking or cuisine)

5. Search statement is not case sensitive

  • Bill Clinton=bill clinton
  • Walmart=walmart

6. Stop words-Do not use stop words unless in quotes

in, off, of, out, forward, the, or, and, up, etc.