Search Tips:

Query type Example Description

Keyword meeting Searches for items containing the word "meeting"

Multiple keywords committee meeting Searches for items containing the word "committee" or the word "meeting". This could also be written as 'committee OR meeting'

Using AND committee AND meeting Searches for items containing both "committee" and "meeting"

Using NOT committee NOT meeting Searches for items containing "committee" but excludes items containing "meeting"

Using OR committee OR meeting Searches for items containing "committee" or items containing "meeting". This is the same as using 'committee meeting'

Phrase "shared interest" Searches for items containing the phrase "shared interest" i.e. the words appear next to one another.

Using '+' or '-' +rock -music

+bass +guitar The character "+" may be used instead of the keyword AND, "-" can be used instead of the keyword NOT. The '+' indicates that the following word must exist; whilst the '-' indicates that the following word must not exist.
'+rock -music' will find items containing 'rock' which do NOT contain 'music'.
'+bass +guitar' will find items containing both words.
If neither '+' nor '-' is used, then the word is regarded as optional, although those items containing the word will generate a higher score.

Using brackets committee NOT (meeting online) The NOT operator applies to BOTH words within the brackets i.e. this query could also be expressed as 'committee NOT meeting NOT online'. Thus searching for items containing the word "committee" but which don't contain "meeting" or "online". This is different to using 'committee NOT meeting online' without the brackets, which would search for items containing the word "committee" or "online" but which don't contain "meeting"

Search in a specified field +title:licence -author:jones Each index has the following mandatory data fields : 'title', 'author','content'. It is possible to search all indexes and narrow down the search results by specifying which field to limit the search.(Note that if a field is not specified then the three mandatory fields 'content', 'title' and 'author' will be searched by default). The example given will search for items containing the word 'licence' in the title that do not have an author containing the name 'jones'.

Capitals PLAZA Meeting Searching is generally case insensitive. For example, this example would find items containing the words "Plaza", "plaza", "MEETING" or "meeTinG". However when searching a specified field, the field name e.g.title must be written in lowercase.

Different forms of a word connection Searches for words that are associated with the same root of a word, which in this example is "connect", hence will identify items containing 'connecting', 'connect', 'connected', 'connections' etc.

Wildcard character '*' dece* This query will search for all items containing a word that begins with the four letters 'dece'. The character '*' may only be used at the end of a word; note that the query irre*able will interpreted as irre* OR able; the query *ound will produce an error since * without a prefixed character cannot be processed.
The wildcard '*' may be useful to search for irregular words whose different forms do not have a common root e.g. deceive/deception; index/indices etc. This example will find items containing the words deceive, deception or deceit. However note that using the wildcard character may also result in cluttering the result list with unwanted hits; e.g. this example would also return items containing the words december or deceased. The use of further query clauses may help to minimize the number of irrelevant hits.

Wildcard character '?' te?t This query will search for all items containing a word which matches te?t, with the ? replaced by any single character. Hence it will identify items containing test and text.

Fuzzy searches roam~ This query will search for all items containing a word similar in spelling to 'roam'. Hence it will identify items containing foam and roams.

More information about searching

Query type	Example	Description
Keyword	meeting	Searches for items containing the word "meeting"
Multiple keywords	committee meeting	Searches for items containing the word "committee" or the word "meeting". This could also be written as 'committee OR meeting'
Using AND	committee AND meeting	Searches for items containing both "committee" and "meeting"
Using NOT	committee NOT meeting	Searches for items containing "committee" but excludes items containing "meeting"
Using OR	committee OR meeting	Searches for items containing "committee" or items containing "meeting". This is the same as using 'committee meeting'
Phrase	"shared interest"	Searches for items containing the phrase "shared interest" i.e. the words appear next to one another.
Using '+' or '-'	+rock -music +bass +guitar	The character "+" may be used instead of the keyword AND, "-" can be used instead of the keyword NOT. The '+' indicates that the following word must exist; whilst the '-' indicates that the following word must not exist. '+rock -music' will find items containing 'rock' which do NOT contain 'music'. '+bass +guitar' will find items containing both words. If neither '+' nor '-' is used, then the word is regarded as optional, although those items containing the word will generate a higher score.
Using brackets	committee NOT (meeting online)	The NOT operator applies to BOTH words within the brackets i.e. this query could also be expressed as 'committee NOT meeting NOT online'. Thus searching for items containing the word "committee" but which don't contain "meeting" or "online". This is different to using 'committee NOT meeting online' without the brackets, which would search for items containing the word "committee" or "online" but which don't contain "meeting"
Search in a specified field	+title:licence -author:jones	Each index has the following mandatory data fields : 'title', 'author','content'. It is possible to search all indexes and narrow down the search results by specifying which field to limit the search.(Note that if a field is not specified then the three mandatory fields 'content', 'title' and 'author' will be searched by default). The example given will search for items containing the word 'licence' in the title that do not have an author containing the name 'jones'.
Capitals	PLAZA Meeting	Searching is generally case insensitive. For example, this example would find items containing the words "Plaza", "plaza", "MEETING" or "meeTinG". However when searching a specified field, the field name e.g.title must be written in lowercase.
Different forms of a word	connection	Searches for words that are associated with the same root of a word, which in this example is "connect", hence will identify items containing 'connecting', 'connect', 'connected', 'connections' etc.
*Wildcard character ''**	dece*	This query will search for all items containing a word that begins with the four letters 'dece'. The character '' may only be used at the end of a word; note that the query irreable will interpreted as irre OR able; the query ound will produce an error since * without a prefixed character cannot be processed. The wildcard '*' may be useful to search for irregular words whose different forms do not have a common root e.g. deceive/deception; index/indices etc. This example will find items containing the words deceive, deception or deceit. However note that using the wildcard character may also result in cluttering the result list with unwanted hits; e.g. this example would also return items containing the words december or deceased. The use of further query clauses may help to minimize the number of irrelevant hits.
Wildcard character '?'	te?t	This query will search for all items containing a word which matches te?t, with the ? replaced by any single character. Hence it will identify items containing test and text.
Fuzzy searches	roam~	This query will search for all items containing a word similar in spelling to 'roam'. Hence it will identify items containing foam and roams.