The document introduces the 3M Search Strategy which provides a simple way to help students build effective Boolean search strings. It involves organizing search terms into three columns - MUST, MIGHT, and MUST NOT. Terms in the MUST column must be present, terms in the MIGHT column may or may not be present, and terms in the MUST NOT column must be excluded. The strategy then demonstrates how to construct search strings using Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT to combine search terms accordingly. It also discusses using truncated terms, quotation marks for adjacent terms, and complex multi-term searches.

3. The 3M Search Strategy List what search terms you know must be there List what search terms you think might be there List what search terms you know must not be there MUST NOT MIGHT MUST

4. The 3M Search Strategy allows you to build a search string You will search these terms using AND You can add these words with OR You can subtract these terms with NOT MUST NOT(-) MIGHT(+) MUST

5. The 3M Search Strategy allows you to build a search string You will search these terms using AND You want to search for sites of maps of China. Search China AND maps MUST MUST China maps MUST

6. BOOLEAN SEARCH: AND You want to search for sites of maps of China. Search China AND maps Results: You will get only the light green sites China (MUST) Maps (MUST)

7. The 3M Search Strategy allows you to build a search string You will search these terms using OR You want to search for sites about First Nations . . Search First Nations OR aboriginal MUST MUST First Nations aboriginal MIGHT

8. BOOLEAN SEARCH: OR You want to search for sites about First Nations. Search First Nations OR aboriginal Results: You will get all the green sites First Nations (MUST) Aboriginal (MIGHT)

9. The 3M Search Strategy allows you to build a search string You will search these terms using NOT You want to search for sites about China . Search China NOT dishes MUST MUST China dishes MUST NOT

10. BOOLEAN SEARCH: NOT You want to search for sites about China. Search China NOT dishes Results: You will get only the green sites China (MUST) dishes (NOT)

11. The 3M Search Strategy allows you to build a more complex search string You will search these terms using AND You want to search for sites about First Nations education in British Columbia. Search: First Nations AND education AND British Columbia MUST MUST First Nations Education British Columbia MUST

12. BOOLEAN SEARCH: AND…AND You want to search for sites about First Nations education in British Columbia. Enter search terms First Nations AND education AND British Columbia Results: You will get all the inner green sites First Nations (MUST) Education (MUST) British Columbia (MUST)

13. The 3M Search Strategy allows you to build a search string to find adjacent terms: You will keep these terms adjacent by putting them in quotation marks You want to search for sites about The Gold Rush . Search ”Gold Rush” MUST MUST ” Gold Rush” MUST

14. BOOLEAN SEARCH: “adjacent terms” You want to search for sites about the Gold Rush. Enter search terms “Gold Rush” (in quotation marks) to find only those sites where the words are adjacent: Results: You will get all the inner green sites Gold Rush Sites with gold and rush

15. The 3M Search Strategy allows you to conduct searches using truncated search terms, the lowest common word roots: You can “reduce” or truncate these search terms using the * You want to find sites about the Buddhist faith. Will you search: Buddha OR Buddhism OR Buddhist ? Or … MUST Buddh* MIGHT

16. BOOLEAN SEARCH: “truncated terms” You want to search for sites about Buddhism. Results: You will get all these sites Buddh(a) Buddh(ism) Buddh(ist) Search the truncated form Buddh* to find all of the sites that apply to your area of study: