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Help: Repository Search

The Archive Finder Repository Search page allows you to search for information on repositories based on specific criteria.

• What types of search can I perform?
  • See also: Boolean, proximity and truncation searching
• How do I perform searches?
• How can I change the order in which my results are sorted?
• How can I change the number of results displayed per page?
• How can I bookmark the search page?
• Some search examples

What types of search can I perform?

You can search Archive Finder for repository information using the Repository Search page.

If you need help deciding what to enter into a search box, you can click the relevant select from a list link. This displays a list of appropriate terms for you to select, which are then transferred back to the relevant search box when you click Select.

To narrow the scope of your search you can join together your search terms using special sets of predefined words called operators. Boolean, proximity and truncation searching provides more information on how to use these operators.

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How do I perform searches?

Repository name

You can search for records with a particular word or word(s) in the repository name:

1. Enter a word into the Repository name box,
    
   or
    
   Choose the word(s) you want from the select from a list page.
    
   
2. Click the Search button.

The Collection Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records where the word you have entered appears in the repository name.

 

Repository city/town

You can search for records from a repository in a particular city or town:

1. Enter a word into the Repository city/town box,
    
   or
    
   Choose the cities or towns you want from the select from a list page.
    
   
2. Click the Search button.

The Collection Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records that match your chosen repository city/town.

 

Repository state (US)

You can search for records from a repository in a particular US state:

1. Enter a word into the Repository state (US) box,
    
   or
    
   Choose the state(s) you want from the select from a list page.
    
   
2. Click the Search button.

The Collection Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records that match your chosen repository state.

 

Repository county (UK)

You can search for records from a repository in a particular UK county:

1. Enter a word into the Repository county (UK) box,
    
   or
    
   Choose the counties you want from the select from a list page.
    
   
2. Click the Search button.

The Collection Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records that match your chosen repository county.

 

Repository country

You can restrict your search to repositories from a particular country (Austria, England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, USA or Wales) using the relevant check boxes. By default, Archive Finder searches all countries.

To restrict your search to England records only:

1. Uncheck all the boxes to the left of each country
    
   
2. Click the check box for England.

The Collection Search Results page will be displayed, listing only records from repositories in England.

 

Repository holdings keyword

You can search for any keyword contained in the records of any repository in the repository database:

• Enter a word into the Repository holdings keyword box,
   
  or

• Choose the word(s) you want from the select from a list page.
   
  
• Click the Search button.

The Repository Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records that match your chosen keyword(s).

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How can I change the order in which my results are sorted?

You can choose the order in which records are sorted in the Repository Search Results by using the Sort results drop-down list. Click the arrow to the right of the box and choose the relevant option from the list that appears. You can choose to sort your results by:

• Alphabetically by repository name (the default option)
• Alphabetically by state/county

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How can I change the number of results displayed per page?

You can choose whether to display 20 or 50 entries on the Repository Search Results using the Display drop-down list; by default Archive Finder displays 20 records per page but you can change this to 50 by clicking the arrow to the right of the Display list and choosing the 50 records per page option.

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How can I bookmark the Search page?

Click the Durable URL link. A panel will open containing the durable URL for the page. You can then copy and paste the link into your documents and email, or paste it into a new browser address bar to add it to your bookmarks.

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Some search examples

Multiple words in search terms

If you enter multiple words into a search field, Archive Finder will by default treat them as though they are connected with the Boolean operator AND, so that photography product design is processed as photography AND product AND design. You can override this using Boolean operators or quotation marks. For example:

• if you wish to search for phrases, the words in quotation marks, for example "product design" photography will retrieve all records for items that contain both the phrase ‘product design’ AND the word ‘photography’.
   
  
• product design or photography will retrieve all records that contain the words ‘product’ AND the word ‘design’ OR the word ‘photography’
   
  
• product or design or photography will retrieve all records that contain the word product OR the word design OR the word photography.

TIP: All searches are case-insensitive, so you don't have to know whether a word should be capitalized or not. For example, there is no difference between municipal, Municipal or mUNiciPal.

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