What are the Basic Search options?

A Basic Search allows you to conduct a simple keyword or exact phrase search using the options described below.

Option: keyword search [default]

• What it does: search for documents containing one or more words
• When/how to use:
  • to search for resources with one or more keywords
  • multiple words can be combined with and or simply strung together
  • example: weapons and destruction and biological or weapons destruction biological
• Example search for weapons of mass destruction as keywords:

Option: "exact phrase" search

• What it does: search for documents containing an exact sentence or phrase
• When/how to use:
  • to search for resources with a specific term or phrase
  • use quotes around your search term to search for an exact phrase.
  • "weapons of mass destruction" will return results where the complete phrase appears.
  • without quotes, it will return results where words in the search term appear in any order.
• Example search for "weapons of mass destruction" as an exact phrase:

Option: term(s) in any field [default]

• What it does: search term appears in at least one of the available fields
• When/how to use:
  • to search for all resources where your search term appears in any field
• Example search for weapons of mass destruction as terms in any field:

Option: term(s) in author

• What it does: search for the name of an author
• When/how to use:
  • to search for resources by an author rather than anything mentioning that person
• Example search for james jones as terms in the author field only:

Option: term(s) in title

• What it does: search the title of the document
• When/how to use:
  • to search for a specific document when you know the title or at least some of the words in the title
  • to search for resources that have a few select words in the title [e.g. "emergency preparedness" or "patriot act"], since this should indicate the focus of the document
• Example search for weapons of mass destruction as terms in the title field only:

Option: term(s) in title or summary

• What it does: search in the title and summary
• When/how to use:
  • to search for resources that have your search term in either the title or summary of the document
• Example search for weapons of mass destruction as terms in the title or summary/abstract field only: