When searching for information, there are a number of techniques to use that will help refine your search results. You can use these strategies when looking for information from the library databases or from a search engine such as Google.
Put quotation marks " " around phrases to search the term as a phrase. Otherwise the database or Google may separate the words.
"business plan" "minimum wage" "stock market" "Port Huron"
Refine your search results using Boolean operators. The three most common Boolean operators are AND, OR, and NOT, but there are others available. The operators AND and NOT will narrow your search and OR will usually increase your search results.
“climate change” AND economics
“business plans” AND “food industry”
“minimum wage” AND productivity
restaurants OR “food industry”
hotel OR motel OR lodging
tariffs NOT oil
Limit your Google results by adding the following to your search string:
For U.S. Government sites: site:.gov
For educational institutions: site:.edu
Example: (wages OR salaries) AND women AND site:.gov
