How to use CD-ROMs and other databases

Nesting

You can construct complex searches by using brackets to combine terms into nests. In this way you can limit or add search terms to each other for greater control. Nesting can be tricky, so use with care.

One use of nesting is to combine two synonyms using OR, then limit your search by combining the results with an AND search. For example, the search string:
internet and (business or commerce)
will return records that have the term internet as well as business or commerce. By doing this you reduce the risk of missing out on relevant records.

When you are nesting you need to be careful that:

• you have closed the brackets
• you have put the brackets in the right place, for example:
  internet (and business or commerce)
  will not work. The AND operator should be outside the brackets.
• you put the brackets in, for example:
  internet and business or commerce
  in some databases will retrieve all the records with commerce, regardless of whether they have the term internet in them.