Search Tips

To get more-specific search results, try using the following tips.

Check the Spelling

Make sure your search terms are spelled correctly.

Note: If you are using the Advanced Search Form and select the "Sound-Alike Matching" option, the search engine will attempt to find the documents with words that "sound" similar to your search terms - but it is always best to try to spell the search terms correctly.

Use Multiple Words

Using multiple words will return more-refined results than using a single word.

For example, searching for new product will find more-relevant documents than just searching for product.

Note: Keep in mind that relevant documents are found even if they do not contain all of the search's terms.

Use Similar Words

The more similar words you use in a search, the more relevant your results will be.

Use Appropriate Capitalization

Capitalizing proper nouns will find more-relevant documents.

For example, searching for cushion will find the documents that contain any the of the words cushion, Cushion, or CUSHION.

Searching for Lift, however, will find the documents that contain only for the capitalized word Cushion.

Note: Remember that lower-case words or phrases will match any case.

Use Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks (") to find words which must appear adjacent to each other within a particular document.

For example, searching for "lifetime of assistance" will find the documents that contain that entire phrase.

Otherwise, the search results will include the words "lifetime", "of", and "assistance" - but not necessarily in that order. The words may appear anywhere, and in any order, within a particular document - if quotation marks are not used.

Note: If you are using the Advanced Search Form and selecting an "Any," "All," or "Phrase" search option, then quotation marks may only be used when the "Any" option is selected. Quotation marks are ignored if the "All" or "Phrase" option is selected.

Use Plus (+) or Minus (-) Signs

Use a plus sign (+) to indicate that your search term(s) or phrase(s) must appear within the search results. The plus sign tells the search engine that a certain word or phrase must be present within the search results.

Use a minus sign (-) to indicate that your search term(s) or phrase(s) must not appear within the search results. The minus sign tells the search engine that a certain word or phrase must not be present within the search results.

For example, searching for +"health" will find the documents that must contain the word "health".

Searching for -"pressure sore" will find the documents that must not contain the phrase "pressure sore".

Note: A term or phrase must be contained within quotation marks. Leave no spaces between the plus or minus sign and the search term or phrase.

Note: If you are using the Advanced Search Form and selecting an "Any," "All," or "Phrase" search option, then plus or minus signs may only be used when the "Any" option is selected. Plus or minus signs are ignored if the "All" or "Phrase" option is selected.

Use Field Searches

Field searches allow you to create specific searches for words that appear in a specific part of a document.

Note: The field name should be in lower-case and immediately followed by a colon. There should be no spaces between the colon and the search term.

Note: The field searches can only be followed by a word or phrase. Phrases must be contained within quotation marks.

Note: If you are using the Advanced Search Form with a list box for the field name, then field names can only be entered before a word or phrase when the "Any" option is selected. Specific field names are ignored if any other Advanced Search Form field is selected in the list box.

Use Wildcards

Wildcard searches can expand the number of matches for a particular search. The * character is used as the wildcard character.

For example, searching for wh* will find the documents that contain a word that begins with the characters "wh" - such as "who", "what", "when", "where", "why", or any other word that begins with "wh".

Searching for *re* will find the documents that contain a word that has the characters "re" anywhere in it - such as "here", "there", "wherever", or any other word that contains "re" anywhere within it.

Searching for *ld will find the documents that contain a word that ends with the characters "ld" - such as "could", "would", "should", or any other word that ends with "ld".

Use Wildcards with Other Modifiers

Wildcards may be also combined with the following:

For example, searching for +wh* -wh*re will find the documents that have a word that starts with the characters "th" and that must not contain a word that both starts with "wh" and ends with "er" - such as "what" but not "whatever".

Searching for "wh* are" will find the documents with a phrase that start with the characters "wh" and have the word "are" - such as "who are", "what are", and "when are".

Searching for (970*-* will find the documents with a "word" that start with the characters "970" and have "-" anywhere in it - such as "(970) 484-7967" or "(970) 484-3800.

Searching for *re* will find the documents that contain a word that has the characters "re" anywhere in it - such as "here", "there", "wherever", and any other word that contains "re" anywhere within it.

Need assistance in selecting, purchasing, fitting, customizing, or using Rand-Scot products?

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