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Reusable asset guide

A collection of content boxes that can be re-used in your own guide. We will be continuously adding content here.

Search operator AND explained

The words AND and OR are used in searching to combine search terms together.

AND retrieves articles which contain all of your concepts. For example, if you are interested in the use of cognitive behaviour therapy for gambling disorders, you would search for cognitive behaviour therapy AND gambling.

Search operator OR explained

The words AND and OR are used in searching to combine search terms together.

OR retrieves records which contain any of your concepts. For example, you might search for cognitive behaviour therapy OR CBT to retrieve all articles on the topic.

Search operators explained

The search operators AND and OR are used in searching to combine search terms together.

AND retrieves articles which contain all of your concepts. For example, if you are interested in the use of cognitive behaviour therapy for gambling disorders, you would search for cognitive behaviour therapy AND gambling.

OR retrieves records which contain any of your concepts. For example, you might search for cognitive behaviour therapy OR CBT to retrieve all articles on the topic.

Which diagrams to chose?

  • Venn diagrams 2 and 3 are image files, with all three circles as one image file; alt text is a generic explanation of the purpose of the image and does not detail each diagram.
  • Venn diagrams 4 and 5 are made up of three different images, each with alt text to explain the diagram.
  • Venn diagram 5 has alt text which includes the text beneath each image, which is part of the image file.

Venn diagrams 5

Two different search terms in overlapping circles with overlapping area shaded, to illustrate boolean operator AND. Only results containing both terms will be retrievedTwo overlapping cicles containing search terms, both completely shaded, to illustrate Boolean operator OR. Results containing either term will be retrieved.Two overlapping circles, each containing search terms, with one circle shaded except for the rea where the other circle overlaps. To illustrate Boolean operator NOT

Venn diagrams 4

Two overlapping circles with overlapping central area shaded, to illustrate boolean operator ANDTwo overlapping cicles both completely shaded, to illustrate Boolean operator ORtwo overlapping circles containing search terms, one circle completely shaded. To illustrate boolean operator not.