![]() ![]() The CPAS search interface allowed me to hand-code highly precise and effective Boolean search strings using all three standard Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT. If it didn’t support full Boolean logic, this blog would probably would not exist – and if it did, I wouldn’t be writing it. Although the CPAS product (which no longer exists) was far from a fully featured Applicant Tracking System, thankfully it did support full Boolean logic, with very few limitations. (Before Google) when my sole source of candidates was a Lotus Notes resume database by the name of CPAS, made by VCG. I was first exposed to Boolean search back in 1997 B.G. Now that you know Boolean logic was created in the 1800’s – it’s pretty obvious that Boolean logic is not just for searching for people and information on the Internet. Practically any information system from which you need to search and retrieve information from “speaks” Boolean to some extent, whether you realize it or not. Boolean Logic is the basis of modern computer logic, and George Boole is regarded in hindsight as one of the founders of the field of computer science. The word “Boolean” comes from the man who invented Boolean Logic in the 19th century – George Boole. By using quotation marks, your results will return only items that include those exact terms in that exact order.If you read certain sourcing and recruiting blogs and discussion groups, you might get the impression that Boolean search pretty much equals Internet search – such as searching for people and profiles using Google, Yahoo, or other search engines. Some sourcing and recruiting professionals may be surprised to learn that Boolean logic significantly predates the Internet and even computers – by a couple hundred years! Quotation Marks are used if you are searching for an exact phrase.Parentheses forms compound searches by giving you the ability to group similar or related terms together.For example, if you're researching Apple computers, you might search for "apple NOT fruit", so that your results won't include items about apples as food. Using NOT lets you be more precise by excluding certain terms. NOT narrows a search by finding records that contain one term but not another.Using OR makes your search wider by searching for similar or related terms. OR broadens a search by finding records that contain either or all of the terms you have entered. ![]() Using AND lets you be more precise by adding additional required concepts.
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