Which Boolean operator is used to include specific terms in a search query?

The Boolean operator that is used to include specific terms in a search query is AND. When you use AND between two or more terms in a search, it instructs the search engine or database to return results that contain all of those specified terms. This helps to narrow down the search results to only those that meet all the criteria set by the user.

For example, if a user searches for "cats AND dogs," the search results will only display items that mention both cats and dogs, ensuring a more targeted set of results. Using AND is beneficial when the user is looking for comprehensive information that covers all aspects of the terms being searched.

In contrast, the other operators function differently. OR is utilized to broaden the search, allowing results that contain any of the specified terms. NOT excludes certain terms from the search results, providing a way to filter out unwanted content. IF is not a Boolean operator used in search queries but is more commonly seen in conditional statements in programming.