Information Retrieval Guide

Search Strings and Search Technique:

The most essential techniques in information retrieval include Boolean operators, phrase searching, and truncation:

Boolean Operators

Boolean operators help you combine or exclude keywords in your search:

• AND – Narrows your search by requiring both terms.
  Example: ecotourism AND sustainability
• OR – Broadens your search by including either term.
  Example: ecotourism OR eco-tourism
• NOT – Excludes a term from your search.
  Example: tourism NOT mass tourism

Tip for LUC-Finna:
In advanced search for international e-resources, select how the keywords in each box are combined. Boxes stacked vertically are always combined with AND.

Parentheses in Search Strings

When your search includes both OR and AND operators, you need to use parentheses around the keywords combined with OR. This ensures the database interprets your query correctly.

Example:
(time management OR time planning) AND studying

How to Apply Parentheses

• In basic searches, you must type the parentheses yourself.
• In advanced searches, there are separate search boxes for keywords. These boxes are combined with AND by default, and you can choose how the terms within each box are connected.

In many databases, the search string is written directly inside the search box, including the necessary operators and parentheses. For example:

 
Phrase Searching

Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase:
Example: "sustainable tourism development"

Truncation

Use a symbol (often *) to search for word variations:
Example: tour* finds tour, tourism, tourist, etc.

Proximity Operator

A proximity operator allows you to search for words that appear close to each other in the text. The number attached to the operator indicates the maximum number of words that can appear between your search terms. Proximity operators vary by database, and not all databases support them.
 

Example in Finna

The proximity operator in Finna is ~.
For example, the following query searches for economics and Keynes within 10 words of each other:

Systematic Information Retrieval (Systematic Literature Review)

If you are conducting a broad and thorough information search, such as a systematic literature review, check out the University of Oulu’s tips: Start here - Systematic searching - Kirjaston oppaat at Oulu University