A phrase is an entity with a certain meaning, formed by two or more words. For example, \u201cuniversity library\u201d and \u201cuniversity library website\u201d are phrases that mean different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The significance of a phrase for information retrieval is that a phrase enables a more accurate search. Simultaneously, fewer matches will be provided. In order to assure that the words in a phrase remain together in the wanted order, the search engine must be given a specific command. In information retrieval, phrases are often marked using the quotation marks \u201c \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without quotation marks, the AND operator will often appear between two words, regardless of whether it was typed in. Medic is one exception to the rule, as the OR operator is placed between two words instead. See the next chapter, Combining Search Terms into a Search Query<\/a>, for more information on AND and OR operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a phrase, the search terms may appear among the text in any order: in different fields, as well as near or far from each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\t