Overview

A Guided search finds records using keywords located anywhere in the record or in specific parts or fields of the record.

A Guided search is helpful when you are looking for a specific item but do not know the initial words of a title or a person's complete name. It can also be used to create a focused search strategy combining keywords and fields in a record.

If you know the exact title of the item you need, use the Basic search instead.

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Constructing a Search

Note: Do not type and, or or not as a search word, unless you are searching the word as part of a phrase.

1. (Optional) Click the Set Limits button to set search limits before typing a search.
2. Enter a search word, several words or a phrase in the Search For: box. Do not mix words and phrases in the same box.
3. Use the dropdown menu to the right of the Search For: box to select how the words will be searched (all of the words, any of the words, the words as a phrase).
4. Select a field in the Search By: dropdown menu or search all fields by accepting the default Keywords Anywhere.
5. (Optional) Select AND, OR, or NOT and fill in the next Search For: box and select the appropriate dropdown menus to the right.

The example below shows a search for items that have the terms internet or web and the terms publish, publisher, publishing or writing in the titles. For more information about using truncation (the ?) see MadCat Help: Truncation/Wildcards.

 

 

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Sample Guided Searches

To find items about Hamlet, but not the play itself:

Search For:	hamlet	all of these	Search By:	Title
	AND
Search For:	shakespeare	all of these	Search By:	Subject

 

To find all items with either the word wildflowers or the phrase wild flowers in the title:

Search For:	wildflowers	all of these	Search By:	Title
	OR
Search For:	wild flowers	as a phrase	Search By:	Title

 

To find the book that includes the phrase years of solitude in the title (you are unsure of the first words of the title):

Search For:

years of solitude

as a phrase

Search By:

Title

 

To find all items by William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson:

Search For:	masters	all of these	Search By:	Author Name
	AND
Search For:	johnson	all of these	Search By:	Author Name

 

To find all items about drama published by Greenwood Press:

Search For:	drama?	all of these	Search By:	Keywords Anywhere
	AND
Search For:	greenwood	all of these	Search By:	Publisher Name

 

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Location Searches

Use the Guided Search to find items in a particular collection within a library. First you will need to find the specific location code for the collection. (To limit by library only, and not within a library, see Set Limits.)

To find all popular videorecordings in College Library's Open Book Collection:

Search For:

coll,video

as a phrase

Search By:

Holdings Location Code

 

To find all the books by Sir William Blackstone that are housed in the Law Library Rare Book Room:

Search For:	law,rare	as a phrase	Search By:	Holdings Location Code
	AND
Search For:	blackstone	all of these	Search By:	Author Name

 

Note: There is no space after the comma in the location code. Select "as a phrase" in the box to the right of the location code.