Folks
Most Search Engine command charts (such as the one in Online 23/3
and others I have found on the Internet) indicate that the AltaVista
default is OR. (Though AV itself does not say what the default is).
However if you search, for example, for
monetary union
on the basic search screen the result is the same (11965 today)
as for the search
"monetary union"
which is the phrase search. The result for a real OR search, obtained
by using OR (which has to be in upper case) on the advanced search
screen is 4,223,763.
Curioser still, if you type in
monetary union
on the advanced search screen (where the default is again meant
to be OR) then the answer is 480580.
And that is just the OR. The basic search uses + to ensure a word is
present (equivalent conceptually to AND). However a search for
+monetary +union
yields 85872
whereas searching in advanced mode for
monetary AND union
gives 919290
quite a difference!
At least
"monetary union"
gives the same result in both modes.
What is one to think? Worse still what is one to tell the students?
Terry
Terry Hanson
Sub-Librarian: Information Services
University of Portsmouth Library
Cambridge Rd.
Portsmouth PO1 2ST
Tel: 01705 843240
Fax: 01705 843233
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|