Searching RLIN: Wild Cards & Truncation

Definition:

• A Wild Card is a symbol that can stand for one or more other characters.
• When the Wild Card is used at the end of the word, it is called Truncation.
• In RLIN, the Wild Card can also stand for one or more words in a phrase.
• The symbol used in the RLIN database is the # , known at the pound or number symbol or hash mark.
• You can not use 2 (two) wild cards in the same search string.

Used to replace letters

• Examples:

  fin sw librar#	finds library, librarian, libraries, librarians
  fin sw wom#n	finds "women" "woman" "womyn"

Used to replace multiple words in or at the end of phrases

• In the middle of a phrase or title:
  • Leave a space between the # and the words surrounding it.
  • Example:

    fin tp game, set # math

    finds phrase "game, set, and math"

• At the end of a phrase or title:
  • Leave a space between the # and the word before it.
  • Example:

    fin tp long day's journey #

    finds phrase "long day's journey into night" and any other beginning with "long day's journey"

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