If a highly respected source links the page, it's probably good information. This is my newest trick when searching and really doesn't have anything to do with indexes. I will often parse URLs just out of curiosity to see what else is at that site. I'll parse up to the home page, or up one conceptual level, to see what other work this person has done. You'll have to consult the help to find out, and also to find out how the available strategies are formatted.
Some indexes offer the boolean OR as a default.
This can make a difference. They would consider a page in which the term appears at the top of the page to be more relevant than a page in which the term appears near the bottom. Some consider the placement of the term in a large heading more relevant and some consider the inclusion of the term in the formal title of the page to be more relevant. Again, the index's Help documentation should specify how relevancy is determined. The hit list is the list of links that is returned to you after you enter the strategy.