Database Search Strategies: Proximity Operators

Proximity operators are more specific than Boolean operators and make your search more precise.

• Most databases automatically put a Boolean AND between your search terms, requiring that all the words be present, but not necessarily near each other. 
• Proximity operators allow you to specify that the terms you are searching for are adjacent or near each other.
• Proximity operators are useful for finding authors whose names are sometimes listed with a middle initial or middle name and sometimes without.

The ability to do a proximity search and the symbols used vary by database, but some common ones include:

w# = with

• With specifies that words appear in the order you type them in.
• Substitute the # with a number of words that may appear in between. If no number is given, then it specifies an exact phrase.

Examples:
genetic w engineering (searches the phrase genetic engineering)
Hillary w2 Clinton (retrieves Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, etc.)

n# = near

• Near specifies that the words may appear in any order.
• Substitute the # with a number of words that may appear in between.

Example:
cloning n3 human (retrieves cloning of humans, human cloning etc.)