"Nesting"
with parentheses (
)can improve a
search in several ways, including controlling the order of
execution of the terms that are being searched on, establishing
specific relationships between terms, and the provision of choices
when you are unsure of specific terms that might be used in a
record.
In my opinion, searchers do not
use this function enough.
Usage
"Nesting"
enables the
Searching for terms in a
certain order
Combination of searches into
more complex search strategies.
Searching for:
Alternate spellings of a
word:
Example:
(catalog
or
catalogue)
Alternate words with
essential the same meaning.
Example:
(car
or
automobile)
Nesting
uses Parentheses (
) to control the order
of execution
Specifically, words surrounded
by the parens will be search on first.
Examples:
(horses
or
cows)
and
farmer
horses
or
cows is
searched on first, then each word is combined with the word
farmer.
In other words, the search
is equal to:
horses
and farmers
and
cows
and
farmers
Nesting
is also useful when you do not know the exact terms that might be
used in a record.
Example:
(Shetlands
or
horses)and
farmer
In some databases there can be
multiple levels of nesting
Example:
((shetlands
or
horses)(3n)
farmer)
and (ireland
or
scotland)