Course: Information Literacy

Module: Accessing and Evaluating Information

Objective: Use keywords and Boolean operators for search strings

With the abundant information available, search strings may be the difference between a time
consuming event or ease of obtaining the desired information. What type of search strings are effective
for each situation? This task will help you answer the question.
1. View the video clip, Searching Using Keywords (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tUqc4gnxc8)
2. For each of the questions below, identify and write the keywords on the first line below the question.
How does global warming affect the strength of hurricanes?
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What are the major causes of eating disorders among young women?
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Does teenage depression lead to alcohol use?
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What are the effects of steroids on high school athletes?
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Write a question of your own on the first line and identify the keywords on the first line below
the question.
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3. Work through the tutorial, Keyword Searching in Library Databases, hosted by the University of
Missouri-St. Louis (http://www.umsl.edu/services/libteach/keyword.html). The tutorial contains six
modules. Work through modules 1, 2, and 3. Modules 4 and 5 are optional but you may find them
helpful. Complete module 6, Some Practice Exercises.

4. Using the information from the tutorial, modify the search string in the questions in step 2 above.
Write your modified search string on the second line of each question.
5. Record your answer to the following questions:
You are looking for information on wolves as predators in Yellowstone. What are the best
keywords to type into the computer?
a) wolves and Yellowstone
b) wolves and yellowstone and predators
c) wolf and yellowstone
d) predators and Yellowstone
Your answer:
Suppose you were interested in finding a stature of Mars, the Roman god of War. Which search
would get you the best results?
a) Mars +god -planet +statue b) mar* +god -planet +statue
c) Mars god planet statue
d) Mars +god +planet +statue
Your answer:
6. For each given search string, describe the expected type of information you would likely receive.
Example: Birds and migration not winter information sources that discuss bird migration patterns,
but do not mention winter.
(television +violen*) and (children or youth or adolescenc* or teen*)

(aids or hiv) and (college students or youth) high school students

(rain forest or rainforest) and (Mexico or Brazil)

7. Upload your completed Learning Task to Joule, Learning Task 4.

Note: Keywords with Boolean operators and/or truncation can be used in various venues. You will use
these skills in your next Learning Task.