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Library Catalog - Advanced Keyword Search Tips

Note: The following applies only to keyword searches in the library catalog, not to any of the other searches available in the catalog (title, journal title, subject, etc.)

What is and isn't included in keyword searches

Included:

  • Authors/other authors
  • Titles/other titles
  • Subjects
  • Most note fields, including contents, performers, summaries, production credits, geographic coverage, dissertation/thesis note, reproduction information
  • Series

Not included:

  • ISBNs and ISSNs (Use the number search under Other Searches for these.)
  • Call numbers (Use the options for call number searches under Other Searches.)
  • Publishers and place of publication (although you may limit a search by publisher using the Publisher box below "Limit to:")
  • Descriptions
  • Some generic note fields
  • URLs

Keyword or Phrase searching

By default, searching words or phrases will return results based on relevancy in up to five groups, from “most relevant” to “other relevant”, depending on where the word or phrase appears in the record. Within each group, records are displayed by publication date (newest to oldest).

Relevancy Groups

most relevant
Most Relevant
The search terms appear as a phrase in the main title of the item.
highly relevant 
Highly Relevant
The search terms appear as a phrase in a sub-title or other title information.
very relevant 
Very Relevant
The search terms appear as a phrase in the contents, series notes, or subject headings.
relevant 
Relevant
The search terms are combined with a Boolean AND. At least one of the terms is in the main title or sub-title.
other relevant 
Other Relevant
The search terms are combined with a Boolean AND and may appear anywhere in the record.

To search an exact phrase, enclose it in quotes. This retrieves all records containing that phrase anywhere in the record, sorted by publication date (newest to oldest).

Deactivating Relevancy Ranking

Relevancy ranking can be deactivated by any of the following:

  • On the keyword search page, select a specific field from the drop down menu in which you want your words to appear, i.e. title. Results will display in reverse chronological order.
  • Enclose words in quotes to insure that only the exact phrase is retrieved. Results will display in reverse chronological order.
  • Enter search terms in multiple search boxes. Results will display in reverse chronological order.
  • Change the drop down menu next to Search and Sort to either "sorted by date" or "sorted by title".
     

Wildcards & Truncation

*

An asterisk (*) matches an unlimited number of non-space characters, starting at the specified position in the word. The * wildcard may only appear after at least two characters.

This can also be used instead of a keyword to find all items limited to a particular format, language, location, etc. (See Limiting Searches)

 inter* finds "interval", "interstate", "international", etc.
behavi*r finds both "behavior" and "behaviour"
*national does not find anything at all

?

 ? replaces a single character within a word. The question mark must be preceded by at least three characters. wom?n finds woman or women

 

Phrases containing Boolean operators (AND, OR, AND NOT)

If a phrase being searched includes any of these words: AND, OR, or AND NOT,   enclose the phrase in quotes to force the system to search them as words, and not to function as operators between words.

Examples of phrases which must be enclosed in quotes to retrieve exact results in keyword search:

To be or not to be
a primer for new (and not so new) professors
To strive and not to yield
This is a picture and not the world
Unwanted and not included  [retrieves results, but not the book with this title]

 

Multiple Word (non-phrase) Searching

Available Boolean operators are: AND, OR, AND NOT

Boolean operators

Words can be connected to either narrow or broaden a search by using and, and not or or. Word order does not matter when using "and" or "or".
If using both and and or, put each group of related terms on their own line of the form, writing "and" or "or" between each word.
AND And narrows a search by requiring that both words be found. Word order does not matter. guggenheim and bilbao will find both "Museo Guggenheim Bilbao" and "Guggenheim Museum Bilbao".
AND NOT And not excludes words from search results. cell and not phone will find records with the word “cell” only if they do not include the word “phone”.
OR Or broadens a search by looking for any of the words entered. Word order does not matter. penguins or puffins

(k-6 or primary) and teaching will find records with either “k-6” and “teaching” or “primary” and “teaching”.

 

Limiting Searches

You may search a sub-collection and/or location from the menu next to Limit to:  Electronic resources, All Journals, Law Library, Arizona Health Sciences Library, AHSL+Science-Eng. Library, Fine Arts+CCP Libraries. (The last four location-based sub-collections also include electronic resources.)
 
You may also limit by language, location, format, publisher or year of publication by using the menus below Limit to:.
 
 
 
To find all materials that match a limit critieria, use an asterisk (*) by itself in the first search box, then choose one or more limit options.
jazz, with Location set to Fine Arts Library, Format set to "VIDEO/FILM" and "2001" in the Year After field, finds videos published after 2001 that contain the word "jazz" and are located in the Fine Arts Library.
 
 
 
* (entered in first keyword search box) searched with “View Law Library” and limited to "SPOKEN RECORD" in the Format menu finds all spoken recordings in the Law Library.
 
* searched with "Spanish" in the Language menu and "VIDEO/FILM" in the Format menu finds all Spanish-language films and videos.

Non-Alpha-numeric Character Searching

The following are searchable characters. Also, & is interchangeable with “and” in a search.
 
@
"at" sign
$
Dollar sign
%
Percent sign
#
Pound sign
&
Ampersand (= "and”)

The system converts the following punctuation characters to a SPACE in the search expression:

:
Colon
.
Period
_
Underscore
\
Backslash
=
Equals sign
/
Forward slash
;
Semicolon
,
Comma
^
Caret
`
Backtick

Thanks  to University of Oregon Library, from which some material was borrowed.

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