To narrow the scope of your search you can use the following special sets of predefined words, called operators, to join together your search terms:
Archive Finder allows you to combine your search terms so you can target your search at more specific areas. For example, from the Repository Search page you can list records for repositories in Archive Finder which contain the words military and vietnam.
You combine your search terms using the following special keywords, called Boolean operators:
AND
The AND operator retrieves all records that contain the search terms it
separates. However, this type of search normally retrieves fewer results
than if you searched for one of the terms on its own.
e.g. military AND vietnam
If you have entered search terms in more than one search box, Archive Finder treats them as if they were combined using the AND operator.
Note that if you want to search for the word 'and' in a phrase, such as 'records and diaries', you should type the phrase into the search box and enclose it in double quotes; for example, "records and diaries".
OR
The OR operator retrieves all records that contain either or both of the
search terms it separates. This type of search retrieves more results
than if you searched for one of the terms on its own.
e.g. Army OR Navy
If you select more than one search term from a list, Archive Finder automatically combines them in the search box using this operator.
NOT
The NOT operator retrieves all records that contain the first search term
but not the second.
e.g. immigration NOT Mexico
NEAR
The NEAR operator retrieves records that contain one search term within 10 words of the other specified term.
e.g. landscape NEAR architecture
FBY
FBY retrieves records containing one search term followed by another.
e.g. presidential FBY manuscripts
Archive Finder allows you to list documents containing variations on a search term by using the * (asterisk) or ? (question mark) wildcard characters.
Use an asterisk to find variations on a word ending.
e.g. work* finds work, works, working, worker, workman, workmen
Use a question mark in the place of a letter to find variations in spelling.
e.g. wom?n finds woman and women.
Note that you can only use the ? wildcard in the middle of a word.
If you are performing a phrase search, you can only use wildcard operators in the final word in the phrase.
