ES-90 - ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS
DATABASE SEARCHING: NESTING (THRU USE OF PARENTHESES)
Syllabus
Schedule
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Scope
Nesting
(generally done thru the use of Parentheses
( )
) enables the:
Searching for terms in a certain order.
Combination of searches into more complex search strategies.
Usage
Use
nesting
when you want to combine two or more search terms with one or more additional terms.
When you have alternative words with the same meaning.
Example
Example 1: When you want to combine two or more search terms with one or more additional terms.
(
horses
or
cows
) and
farmer
is equivalent to:
horses
and
farmer
and
cows
and
farmer
You wind up with a documents containing:
horses
and
farmer
cows
and
farmer
horses
and
cows and farmer
Example 2: When you have alternative words with the same meaning.
(
cars
or
automobiles
) and
regulation
and
exhaust
is equivalent to:
cars
and
regulation
and
exhaust
and
automobiles
and
regulation
and
exhaust
You wind up with a documents containing:
cars
and
regulation
and
exhaust
automobiles
and
regulation
and
exhaust
cars
and
automobiles
and
regulation
and
exhaust