Tip #2 to improve searches in novoseek – use Boolean operators

Boolean logic is a system for logical operations, used in many systems. In novoseek, Boolean operators can be used to combine different search terms. Why is this interesting for novoseek users? The use of Boolean operators will help save time and get better results in the first place. There are 3 Boolean logics you can use in novoseek: AND, OR and NOT. Obviously, you can combine one or several of them, as we will show you in the following examples.

• Boolean AND

Boolean AND is used in novoseek to spot publications where both search terms are mentionned.

Cancer: 1,168,270 results
Breast: 259,863 results
Cancer AND Breast: 166,624 results (view online)
• Boolean OR

Boolean OR is used in novoseek to spot publications where at least one of the search term is mentionned.

Cancer: 1,168,270 results
Breast: 259,863 results
Cancer OR Breast: 1,261,509 results (view online)
• Boolean NOT

Boolean NOT is used in novoseek to spot publications where the first search term is mentionned and the one following NOT is excluded.

Cancer: 1,168,270 results
Breast: 259,863 results
Cancer NOT Breast: 1,001,646 results (view online)
• Combination of Boolean operators

The combination of several Boolean operators allows to perform complex searches at once. It is recommended to advanced users willing to save time and read relevant results quickly.

Cancer: 1,168,270 results
Breast: 259,863 results
Trastuzumab: 2,837 results
Cancer AND Breast AND Trastuzumab: 2,184 results (view online)
Cancer AND Breats NOT Trastuzumab: 164,440 results (view online)
Cancer OR breast OR Trastuzumab: 1,261,631 results (view online)
Trastuzumab NOT Cancer NOT Breast: 122 results (view online)

We recommend you to read:

• Your handy my novoseek guide v1.0
• Tip #3 to improve searches in novoseek – use labels to organize your readings
• Data organization and interaction
• Why Publication Types matter when looking for relevant scientific literature in Pubmed
• Tip #1 to improve searches in novoseek – Filter results by publication type