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Search Operators
Following is a list of the search operators and brief descriptions of
how they will help you build a search.
- AND
- Boolean AND logic operator. Searches for records containing both of
the words it separates.
- OR
- Boolean OR logic operator. Searches for records containing either of
the words it separates.
- NOT
- Boolean NOT logic operator. Searches for records containing the query
word preceding it without containing the word following it.
- NEAR
- NEAR operator. Functions as bi-directional proximity operator if word
range (e.g. deficit near/3 spending) is specified. If no word
range is specified, functions as bi-directional adjacency operator.
- ADJ
- Adjacency operator. Searches for records in which the query word that
follows it appears immediately after the word preceding it.
- W/n
- Proximity operator. Searches for word pairs in which the pair's second
term
occurs within a specified number of words after the first. Example:
amphibian W/5 DNA finds records in which DNA occurs withinfive words after amphibian.
- ?
- Wildcard operator for a single character; matches any one character.
- *
- Wildcard operator for strings; matches any string.
Examples: micro* matches microscope, microcomputer; *late
matches relate, translate.
- +
- Stemming operator; forces a word stem (if search stemming is off).
Example: run+ finds run, runs, and running.
- #
- Exact match operator; forces an exact word match (if search stemming is
on).
Example: run# finds run, but not runs or
running.
- @
- Thesaurus operator; replaces the word before the operator with its
synonyms from the thesaurus. Example: satellite@ is replaced by
synonyms listed for satellite in the thesaurus.
- !
- Concept operator; automatically generates a list of words related to the
word before the operator; searches for, retrieves, and ranks all records
containing those related words; hit words are highlighted.
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