Scope

• Select (s) is the basic command that tells the computer that you want to search for the words following that command.
  • Example:
    • s california and earthquakes
• This will produce a set of records for the full search statement (in other words, all of the terms that you entered) but not sets for the individual terms.
  • Example: The Above might produce the following

    • s1 california and earthquakes - 2380 records

• NOTE:
  • When you are doing a DialIndex search to see which databases have the most frequent occurrences of the terms that you entered, you only use the single select (s).
  • You also use the single select (s) when you are combining sets of the results of previous searches.
    • Example: s s1 and s5

Select Steps

• The command, though, is best used in the form (ss) or select steps if you are searching on two or more terms.
• The reason is that select steps will display each individual term as a set of results as well as the set of combined terms.
• This is useful if you want to recombine terms for a subsequent search.
• Example:
  • ss california and earthquakes
  • This will produce (the numbers below are not real):
    • s1 california - 123829 records
    • s2 earthquakes - 9422 records
    • s3 california and earthquakes - 2380 records
  • Now, you could do another search on "sierra nevada" and combine it with the "earthquakes" result:
    • s sierra(w)nevada produces: s4 17021 records
    • s s4 and s2 - 928 records
• NOTE:
  • Do not use the Select steps (ss) when
    • You are doing a DialIndex search .
    • Conducting a search that combines previous sets.