You can perform simple searches by just typing in some keywords or more sophisticated searches by using boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT, NEAR), grouping words/phrases using parentheses or quotes, and using the wild card character "*". Here are some example search queries:
- information retrieval
- finds records containing both 'information' and 'retrieval'
- information and retrieval
- same as above
- information or retrieval
- finds records containing 'information' or 'retrieval'
- information near retrieval
- finds records containing both 'information' and 'retrieval', where the two terms are located in close to each within the document
- 'information retrieval'
- finds records containing the exact phrase 'information retrieval' -- this would not match a document with the phrase 'information systems retrieval', for example
- information not retrieval
- finds records containing 'information' but not 'retrieval'
- (information not retrieval) and web
- finds records containing 'web', plus 'information' but not 'retrieval'
- web*
- finds records containing words starting with 'web' -- this wildcard only works at the end of a word or phrase, for example, "information ret*" or info*, but not "info*tion"