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The Keyword Search
To display the keyword search screen, you may select either the Keyword Search option or the GIL-search the library catalog option available on the GIL home page.
The Keyword search gives you more control over your search. Use it when you want to specify multiple fields such as an author search in the first search box and a title search in the second.
The Keyword search is good to use if, for example, you only know a couple of words of a title, or part of a subject heading. The Keyword search does not require an exact match like the Exact Search does.
For each line, the association between search words must be indicated using the "all of these"/"any of these"/"as a phrase" drop down menu.
If more than one line is used, the lines must be related using the Boolean operators AND/OR/NOT.
Search for: Enter your search words here.
All of these: Use this drop down menu to indicate whether to search for any or all terms, or to search terms as an exact phrase.
Search in: Select the fields in the GIL record in which your search words should appear.
And/Or/Not: You can enter search words in multiple 'Search for:' boxes. If you do, you must indicate how the search boxes should be related.
Narrow My Search: Limit your search by one of multiple limits, including language, location, date, and/or format. Limits remain in effect until you clear the limits or close your browser.
To return to the GIL home page, click on Exit at either the top or the bottom of the screen.
When Should I Use the Keyword Search?
Use the keyword search:
- when you are looking for materials on a topic, but you don't have a particular
book or author in mind.
- to build complex searches by combining terms using Boolean operators (and,
or not).
Examples:
To find materials about Thomas Jefferson that were published in 2003-
To find books about John Adams written by John Ferling-
- when you have partial information.
Example:
You are uncertain of the complete title of a book. Use what you think are a few key words from the title.
- when you want to search multiple related terms with one search. (In this
example, you will use the truncation symbol for GIL, “?.”) By using the truncation
symbol, you will retrieve materials that have democracy, democratic, democrats,
etc. in any GIL record field.
WANT MORE on Boolean Connectors or database searching basics?
>Unit 4 > A Primer on Databases and Catalogs
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