Filters and Modifiers

Filters and modifiers help you narrow down your search results so that you can get the best possible results. Most students are used to typing in the exact question that they want answered. However, in GALILEO, that doesn't work. So, to help refine the list, we use filters and modifiers.

Filters basically screen out results that don't match what you need or includes only certain results, just like the content filters on our internet and NetRef AllowList/BlockList.

Modifiers allow results to be modified in order to include extra results. Usually, modifiers come into use within your search terms, not something extra that you have to click. Modifiers are often used with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), which modify the search results by:

AND: including additional terms or phrases in the results

OR: including results that may have one word OR another OR both words together

NOT: not including results with a particular word.

The image below may help you understand how Boolean operators can affect the search results.

The video below was created by the University of Georgia to explain how to use filters, limiters, and expanders to help your search. While it focuses mainly on the EBSCO database, almost of the GALILEO databases use the same filters.