Searching SIRSI: Searching for Stop Words Using Double Quotes

Definition

• Stop words are ones that are not searched for in a database unless they are used in a phrase.
• Stop words include:
  • Articles
  • Boolean and proximity operators
• Many databases ignore stop words even in a phrase and merely look at the relative position of words in a phrase.

Common Stop Words in Sirsi Unicorn

• Articles
  • a, an, as, at, be, but, by, do, for, if, in, of, on, the, to
• Boolean and proximity operators
  • and, or, not, same, with, adj, near

Searching for Stop Words in Sirsi Unicorn

• In Sirsi Unicorn, stop words are recognized and searched on when in a phrase when the stop words are surrounded by double quotes " ".)
• If you want to use search for phrases (such as a title of a book) that include stop words, then the search phrase must be enclosed in single quotes ' ' and the stop words in double quotes double quotes " "

Examples

• An Exact Phrase Search
  • Put the phrase or title in Double Quotes.
    • 'day "in" "the" life "of" australia'
    • 'old man "and" "the" sea'

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