Using AND/OR/NOT (Boolean Search Operators)
Use Boolean search operators to combine search parameters.
- AND
- All parameters must be contained in a document for the document to be returned as a search hit. The parameters, by default, are not required to be located together or in any specific order in the document.
- OR
- A document must contain at least one of the parameters to be returned as a search hit.
- NOT
- Documents containing specified parameters are excluded.
When using Boolean search operators, keep in mind:
- Capitalization of the operators is not required.
- Always separate an operator from its parameters with a space.
- AND is the default operator between parameters when no other is specified.
- OR and NOT operators must be manually inputted between parameters.
- NOT requires at least one parameter to its right.
- If used with the concept search mode, the system disables concepts for the parameter of the NOT operator and instead applies stem mode to the parameter of the NOT operator.
![Closed](../../../Skins/Default/Stylesheets/Images/transparent.gif)
Search Query | Search Results |
---|---|
stock purchase agreement |
A document must contain stock, purchase, and agreement to be a hit (same as stock AND purchase AND agreement) |
stock OR purchase OR agreement |
A document must contain at least one of the three terms to be a hit. |
NOT stock |
Documents containing stock are not returned as hits. |
stock not stock and stock or or stock and stock |
There is no search result. These searches contain a syntax error, as the parameter to the right or left of the operator is missing. |
(stock OR purchase) AND agreement |
A document is a hit if it contains either stock AND agreement or purchase AND agreement, or all three terms. |
(stock purchase) NOT agreement | A document is a hit if it contains stock AND purchase so long as it does not also contain agreement. |
(stock OR purchase) NOT agreement | A document is a hit if it contains either stock OR purchase so long as it does not also contain agreement. |
![Closed](../../../Skins/Default/Stylesheets/Images/transparent.gif)
Search Query | Search Results |
---|---|
stock purchase agreement |
A document must contain stock, purchase, and agreement or their related concepts to be a hit (same as stock AND purchase AND agreement) |
stock OR purchase OR agreement |
A document must contain at least one of the three terms or their related concepts to be a hit. |
NOT stock |
Documents containing stock are not returned as hits. |
colloquium NOT meet |
The search finds documents that contain the term colloquium and concepts related to the term colloquium, but which do not contain any stemmed variations of the term meet. |
Note: Operator names are configurable and may be different in your user interface.
Search for the Words And, Or, Not
Your search may contain a word that is also used as operator name. To search for such words, use wildcard search or phrase search.
- Not*
- And*
- Or*
- Wildcard search finds the actual word and any word that starts with not/or/and, respectively. For example: Nottingham, or Andrew, or Oregon.
- "Not"
- "AND"
- "OR"
- This finds the actual word. Phrase search ignores any operator names.
- For example, searching for
apples "not" pears
finds documents that contain all three words: apples, not, and pears. - "apples not pears"
- "apples and pears"
- "apples or pears"
- Phrase searches containing multiple words, including an operator name also treat the operator name as a normal word.
Note: If the stop word feature is active, and NOT, AND or OR are configured as stop words, such a search is invalid, as a phrase search for a stop word only is not possible.
Influence Search Result Order with Boolean Operators and Asterisk