Object · embeddable

Search-string builder

Break your topic into concepts, list a few synonyms for each, and BLOOM assembles a copy-ready Boolean search string. Synonyms within a concept are joined with OR; concepts are joined with AND. Paste the result into any library database.

Build your search string

Enter a main keyword for each concept and up to four related terms. Empty rows and empty boxes are ignored. Watch the live preview below.

Concept 1

terms joined with OR

Concept 2

terms joined with OR

Concept 3

terms joined with OR

Your search string

Start typing above and your Boolean search string will appear here.

A worked example

Say you’re researching how social media affects how teenagers feel about their bodies. Break that into three concepts, each with a few synonyms:

  • Concept 1: social media OR Instagram OR TikTok
  • Concept 2: teenagers OR adolescents OR youth
  • Concept 3: body image OR self-esteem

Joined together, the builder hands you:

(social media OR Instagram OR TikTok) AND (teenagers OR adolescents OR youth) AND (body image OR self-esteem)

Paste that into a database’s search box and it finds records that mention at least one term from every concept. (Those are the placeholder values in the boxes above – clear them and type your own.)

Boolean in the age of AI

AI-powered discovery layers and chat search are happy to take a plain-English question, and that’s useful for getting oriented. But most library databases still reward a precise keyword-and-Boolean string: it’s transparent, reproducible and easy to tweak when results are too broad or too narrow. Use natural language to explore, then bring a deliberate Boolean string here for the focused database search that a literature review or systematic search needs.

Embed it in your LibGuide or LMS

Want your students to use this inside your own course? Paste this into any HTML or embed block (LibGuides, Brightspace, Canvas, a webpage) and the builder appears right there – just the tool, no BLOOM chrome around it.

<iframe src="https://bloom.windandpages.com/objects/search-string-builder/" width="100%" height="980" style="border:2px solid #CDE8D6;border-radius:16px;" title="Search-string builder" loading="lazy"></iframe>

Built by Christina Hilburger · CC BY 4.0.