A simple Keyword search will look for words in many fields displayed in the Title Details, but a more targeted keyword search will rely on the use of specific operators:
Search Field | Operator | Example | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
LC Subject Heading | lcsubjects: | lcsubjects:nanotechnology | Does not require an exact match. |
LC Classification | lcclass: | lcclass:[RA1190 TO RA1270] | Search a single number or add square brackets [ ] and the operator TO for a range. |
NLM Classification | nlmcode: | nlmcode:[WD400 TO WD430] | |
Dewey Decimal | dewey: | dewey:[726.5 TO 726.599] | |
Title | title: | title:obama or title:”steve jobs” or (WWII pilots) | Parentheses will look for all words; Double quotation marks will look for adjacent words. |
Author | author: | author:austen | |
Author & Title | author: title: | author:bronte title:"wuthering heights" | |
Publisher | publisher: | publisher:”oxford university” or NOT publisher:"Create Space" |
Use Boolean search operators AND, OR, & NOT for more complex searches. For best results always use lower case for all keywords and upper case for all Boolean operators, except where otherwise noted.
The Boolean search operator AND is equal to the "+" symbol. Use AND to narrow or restrict results to both or all of the keywords; a plus sign “+” can be used instead (you need a space before the plus sign and no space after)
The Boolean search operator OR does not have a symbol equivalent in OASIS. Use OR to broaden results by grouping synonyms or alternate search terms in parentheses.
The Boolean search operator NOT is equal to the "-" symbol. Use NOT to restrict results by excluding keyword(s); a minus sign (-) can be used instead (you need a space before the minus sign and no space after)
Use an asterisk* to perform searches on words with various endings or when only the root word/stem is known.
Use double quotation marks (inverted commas) to group adjacent words that should be searched as a single term.
example: “visual arts”
Use parentheses ( ) to group words in any order within a title or to group segments of a query for more complex searches, joining synonyms with the operator OR.
example: acid and (rain OR precipitation)