Author : Davis, Charles H.
URL : proquest.umi.com
Abstract of the Article
Much database searching is based on the principles of Boolean logic. Even the online public access catalog (OPAC) is now providing the keyword Boolean searching. Most people are now comfortable with the use of “and”, “or” and “not” logic of online searching and appreciate this feature whether they are searching locally or accessing a library through the internet. But the perfectly good Boolean logic can lead to enormous retrieval sets given the sizes of research libraries and specialized databases. To give general and straightforward solution to the problem is little known technique called weighted-term searching which is an extension of Boolean counterpart. It can be used with either controlled vocabulary or free-text searching and with inverted or uninverted files. Furthermore, it is superior to Boolean logic because it can rank output in decreasing probable relevance. The method described here can be used profitably in any field by search intermediaries or end users who wish to employ techniques more sophisticated than those afforded by simple Boolean coordination.
URL : proquest.umi.com
Abstract of the Article
Much database searching is based on the principles of Boolean logic. Even the online public access catalog (OPAC) is now providing the keyword Boolean searching. Most people are now comfortable with the use of “and”, “or” and “not” logic of online searching and appreciate this feature whether they are searching locally or accessing a library through the internet. But the perfectly good Boolean logic can lead to enormous retrieval sets given the sizes of research libraries and specialized databases. To give general and straightforward solution to the problem is little known technique called weighted-term searching which is an extension of Boolean counterpart. It can be used with either controlled vocabulary or free-text searching and with inverted or uninverted files. Furthermore, it is superior to Boolean logic because it can rank output in decreasing probable relevance. The method described here can be used profitably in any field by search intermediaries or end users who wish to employ techniques more sophisticated than those afforded by simple Boolean coordination.
Three things I learned from my reading assignment:
First, I learned that most people are comfortable with the use of “and”, “or” and “not” logic of online searching and even online public access catalog now provide the keyword Boolean to expand our search.
Second, aside from the used of Boolean search, I find techniques that more sophisticated than those afforded by a simple Boolean coordination, it is the weighted-term searching which is the extension of Boolean counterpart.
Third, I also learned the new terms of searching and the proper use of it.
Implications of the new things I learned to my work and to me as a person:
I am now familiar with the used of Boolean search and the techniques that will make our search successful.
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