Combination of files in the Search Operators section

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Searching Dialog: Boolean Operators: and, or, but not

Scope

Okay, you know these.  The only difference is that in Dialog you need to use "but not" for "not."

"As in most searching, "and" continues to be your most important tool. But in Dialog or other collections of simultaneously searched databases:

 

Boolean

Format

Examples, Notes

  • and

and

  • cats and dogs
  • or

or

  • cats or dogs
  • not

but not

  • cats but not dogs
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Searching Dialog: Proximity Operators: w, n, s, l

Scope

Consequently:

Proximity operators

List of operators

Function/Command

Format

Examples, Notes
adjacent in order entered

(w)

  • computer(w)systems

  • Finds phrases such as "computer systems.

near in order entered

(#w)

  • computer(6w)systems

  • # can be any suitable number

adjacent in either order

(n)

  • search(n)example

  • Finds "search example" and "example search"

near in either order

(#n) 

  • dog(9n)cat

  • Finds "cat .... dog" and "dog .... cat"

within same field

(s)

  • teacher(s)student

  • Both terms must be in the same field in either order

within same descriptor pair (heading-subheading)

(l)

  • solar(l)energy

  • i.e., heading(l)subheading

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Phrase Searching with (w) or ()

Introduction

There are various estimates of several hundred thousands to as many as 1.8 million different words used in the ecumenical and welcoming embrace of the English language. Of course, this includes numerous foreign words that have been adopted (pho, tatami, bangra, chocolate, avocado, llama, and endless more) and a seemingly limitless number of scientific/medical/technical terms (normotriglyceridemic abetalipoproteinemia, Van der Waals bond, icosadodecohedron, serial storage Architecture).

So, how do we navigate through such a rich vocabulary when we are searching. I provided a clue in the last set of examples: phrases. Searching for an ordered sequence of words is one of the most powerful searches that you can do because of the increased precision you achieve when your are looking for a logical and expected phrase appropriate to your search. There are many kinds of phrases that are useful for searching. These include names of people or places, quotes, titles, scientific names, and much, much more.

But, you must be aware that in Dialog:

Doing Phrase Searching in Dialog

In Phrase-Indexed Fields:

In fields that are Word-Indexed

 

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Wild Cards & Truncation

Introduction

Operator

Formats 

Function/Command

Format

Examples, Notes
truncation:
any # of characters

?

  • flow? finds:
    • flow, flows, flowing, flower, flowed, flowmeter, etc.
truncation:
exact # of characters

??, ???, etc

  • catalog?? finds:
    • catalogue, cataloged, catalog, catalogs, etc.
truncation:
1 additional character

? ?

  • cat? ? finds:
    • cat, cats, Cato
embedded wild card:
exact # of characters
??, ???, etc
  • wom?n finds:
    • women, woman, womyn
  • princip??s finds:
    • principals, principles
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Searching Dialog: Order of Execution of Operators

Scope

Order of Execution

  1. Anything in parentheses ( ) (parenthetical phrases)  
  2. (w), (n), (s), (l), or (f) (proximity operators)
  3. not 
  4. and 
  5. or
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Searching Dialog: Nesting with Parentheses

Introduction

Usage

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Searching Dialog: Date Limitation

Scope

Ways of limiting your search

Publication Date (pd=)

Publication Year (py= or /py)

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Searching Dialog: Using the Limit All (lall) Command

Introduction

LimitAll (lall) is useful for reducing the number of records that are processed and retrieved for all subsequent s or ss searches until you cancel the Limit All command.

It is useful for both increasing precision and containing costs, the latter mostly by limiting the time involved in the execution of the search.

Usage

Example

Function/Command

Format

Examples, Notes
limit all

lall/ suffix codes

  • lall/ger, de
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Searching Dialog: Stop Words

Scope

Stop Words

an
and
by
for
from
of
or
the
to
with

Problem: How do you search on a phrase that includes stop words?

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Searching Dialog: Combining Searches with Keep

Scope

Usage

Usage in OneSearch

Cancelling keep

Example

Function/Command

Format

Examples, Notes
keep

k Sn/n,n-n Sn/n,n

  • k s3/2,9,23-15;s6/3,4 from 275
  • k s3/22,29 from 275
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Dialog Techniques: Stacking Multiple Commands

Scope

Some Commands that can be stacked:

begin
expand
execute
exs
find
keep
limit
rd
repeat
save
save temp
select
select steps

Example

b 85,275;ss (internet(w)research)(8n)library