6.2. Search methods

• 6.2.1. Simple and Advanced search options
• 6.2.2. Simple Search option - Guidelines for use
• 6.2.3. Advanced Search option - Guidelines for use
  • Search connectors for use in the Advanced Search option

6.2.1. Simple and Advanced search options

Simple Search ¹³¹-is the search method recommended for inexperienced users, and is the default option for DIAL Search. Users can enter text in any form (eg `I want laws on tax and bankruptcy' or a few key terms like `tax taxation bankrupt bankruptcy') without knowing about search connectors. Results are ranked according to likely relevance. The search results will sometimes lack the precision that an Advanced Search (which uses boolean and proximity connectors) can provide, but for most purposes is safest for inexperienced users (assumed to be the main audience of Project DIAL). Also, since search connectors and searches for phrases cannot be used in Simple Searches, and use of truncation can distort results, it will be insufficient for more experienced users.

Advanced Search ¹³² allows searches using boolean and proximity connectors (and requires them except where a search is for a single word or phrase). These results are also ranked in likely order of relevance. This combination of boolean/proximity searching and relevance ranking allows reasonably broad searches (to aid completeness) with the relevance ranking then providing more precision.

As a general rule of thumb, Simple Searches are usually satisfactory when each concept that you are looking for can be represented as a single word, or you are searching for some unusual name of a person or thing. Otherwise, Advanced Search is probably required.

It will often be sensible to try a Simple Search first, and if the results are not completely satisfactory, try an Advanced Search.

6.2.2. Simple Search option - Guidelines for use

• Enter one or two key words to describe each concept relevant to your search, in any order. Example:
  • To search for laws on pollution of water resources, enter `pollution water'. These two key words represent adequately the key concepts of the search. Synonyms could also be used if it was felt that `water' might not always be used, resulting in a search such as `pollution water river'
• Truncation of search terms using `*' is allowed, but sometimes distorts the relevance ranking of results because each variant of the truncated term is regarded as a separate significant term. Example:
  • To search for laws on taxation in India, enter `tax taxation India' and most of the top-ranked results will concern India. A search for `tax* India' will not be effective because the numerous words starting with 'tax' will 'drown' the reference to India in the relevance ranking, and almost all of the top-ranked results have nothing to do with India.
• If you use any search connectors they are ignored. `Tax near bankrupt' is the same as searching for `tax bankrupt'.
• All commonly occurring words are ignored (eg but, the, an, of, not, in, and, or).
• It is impossible to search for a phrase as such. You can enter a phrase or sentence as search terms, but the result will be the same as searching for the words in any order. Example:
  • A search for `copyright in sound recordings or music' can be entered but the words 'in' and 'or' will be ignored, and 'sound recordings' will be treated as two words, not a phrase. The search is the same as `sound music copyright recording'. The result is nevertheless satisfactory, as shown below. The top-ranked items were major pieces of copyright legislation from India, Australia, Vietnam, Zambia, New Zealand and China.

First 10 of 2253 results for search `copyright in sound recordings or music'

6.2.3. Advanced Search option - Guidelines for use

• Search connectors must be used if more than one search term is used (unless the words are part of a phrase). The boolean and proximity connectors which may be used are listed below.
• Truncation of words using `*' increases completeness and has a less distorting effect on relevance ranking because the use of boolean and proximity connectors eliminates completely irrelevant instances before ranking takes place. Examples of desirable truncation are:
  • `negligen*' for 'negligent, negligently, negligence (etc)';
  • `Viet*' for 'Vietnam Viet Nam, Vietnamese'
  • `pollut*' for 'pollution, polluted (etc)'
• Synonyms should be used, but `or' must be used to separate them (eg `weapon or gun or pistol', `privatization or privatisation').
• Phrases are recognised automatically as phrases and do not need to be put in quotes. eg freedom of information.
• Regular singulars and plurals are automatically found (eg `bank' finds `banks' ) so truncation should not be used merely to find regular plurals (eg `bank*' is not needed to find `banks').

Search connectors for use in the Advanced Search option

• AND - two words or phrases on the same page. Examples: tax and bankrupt; Canada and privatization
• OR - either of two words or phrases on the same page. Examples: `trademark or trade mark'. A Simple Search would not be so effective, because 'trade' and 'mark' would be treated as separate, unrelated words
• NEAR - two words within 50 words of each other. Examples: `pollut* near river' or `(privatization or privatisation) near (power or electricity or gas)'
• W/n - two words within a specified number (`n') words of each other . Examples: 'jud* w/10 salar*' means 'judge, judicial etc within 10 words of salary or salaries'