If a researcher wants sources that include both terms in a search, which operator should be used?

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Multiple Choice

If a researcher wants sources that include both terms in a search, which operator should be used?

When you want sources that must include both terms, use the AND operator. It narrows results to items that discuss dinosaurs and the Cretaceous period, ensuring both ideas appear together. If you used OR, you’d pull in sources that mention either term, which broadens the results and can bring in irrelevant items. NOT would exclude the second term, which would omit sources about the Cretaceous entirely. The minus sign works similarly to exclude terms in some tools, but it isn’t universal and can be confusing. So, AND is the best choice to require both terms.

When you want sources that must include both terms, use the AND operator. It narrows results to items that discuss dinosaurs and the Cretaceous period, ensuring both ideas appear together. If you used OR, you’d pull in sources that mention either term, which broadens the results and can bring in irrelevant items. NOT would exclude the second term, which would omit sources about the Cretaceous entirely. The minus sign works similarly to exclude terms in some tools, but it isn’t universal and can be confusing. So, AND is the best choice to require both terms.

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