CHEM221/222: Organic Chemistry: Searching

Databases work similarly to other search engines, but they are much pickier! So, you have to play by their rules and speak their language to get the best results. That's where Boolean operators come in:

• Boolean Operator Basics:
  • Many databases integrate Boolean operators into their “Advanced Search” function
  • If you have to type in any of the Boolean operators, you should type them in capital letters so the database differentiates them from your keywords.

• Boolean Operator: AND
  • You want to use the Boolean Operator AND to search for two or more distinct ideas.
  • Using AND returns fewer results, because it tells the database that both ideas must be included in every result.

• Boolean Operator: OR
  • This operator is useful when you are looking for information on a topic, but there are multiple ways to talk about it.
  • Using OR returns broader search results and can help you find more items on a topic by accounting for word choice variation

• Boolean Operator: NOT
  • You use the Boolean Operator NOT when you want to exclude results from your search.
  • It is really useful to use when you complete a search and it is cluttered with unrelated results. However, you probably will not use the operator NOT very often in your research, as it can exclude related results as well.

Different Search Terms:

• Ibuprofen
• 2-(4-isobutylphenyl) propionic acid
• C₁₃H₁₈O₂
• ibuprofen OR 2-(4-isobutylphenyl) propionic acid OR C₁₃H₁₈O₂
• ibuprofen AND synthesis
• "synthesis of ibuprofen"

When in doubt, use Subject Terms!

Subject Terms (or Subject Headings) are keywords that librarians agree on as the best way to research a certain topic. Catalogers apply these terms to records, whether or not the author used that exact word or phrase when writing. When you go into an article record in a database, these subject terms will appear as links. Click on the linked subject terms to search for that specific term. Using subject terms is also a great way to find more resources similar to one you like!