Perform a guided search

Use the Keyword/Numeric Search area for guided searches

To enter a guided search that does not require that you remember full search syntax (index labels, etc.), enter search terms in text boxes and select indexes, Boolean operators, and qualifiers from lists. The client supplies correct syntax automatically when you send the search.

1. Log on to the system.
   Or
   Navigate to Cataloging > Search > WorldCat, click , or press <F2>, and let the client prompt you to log on before opening the search window.
2. In the Search WorldCat window, under Keyword/Numeric Search, enter a keyword, numeric, or derived search in the Search for box(es).
   Or
   Click a Search for list and select a previous search (the list displays up to 10 of your last searches).

    Note: Use any Search for box(es) in any order.
   
   See Guided search guidelines below for details.
   
   See more details and examples for specific types of searches in Keyword, numeric, and derived search syntax and examples. See also Browse WorldCat.
   
   To search a single index, combine search terms in a single Search for box. Enter terms in any order. Using and to combine them is optional. The system "ands" the terms (finds records that contain all of the terms) unless you combine terms with or (to find records containing any of the terms) or not (to find records that exclude terms).
   
   To search more than one index, enter search terms in separate Search for boxes, select Boolean operator(s) to combine the terms, and select a different index for each box.

3. To the right of the Search for box, select an index from the default short list of the 10 most used indexes, or customize the short index list, or switch to the full list of over 90 available indexes (the list displays the label and correct punctuation for each index).
   
   See Customize WorldCat search and browse interfaces for details.
   
   For a description of all WorldCat indexes, with labels, fields/subfields indexed,and examples, see Searching WorldCat Indexes.

    Note: Search indexes and some browse indexes are available for SCIPIO records (Sales Catalog Index Project Input Online). The word SCIPIO precedes each index
   name in the alphabetized list for ease of finding them.

4. (Optional) To combine multiple searches, enter more search terms in the remaining Search for boxes.
   
   Combine multiple searches by selecting a Boolean operator from the list to the left of the Search for box. Boolean operators specify relationship(s) among the search terms.
   • and finds records that contain both search terms in the same record
   • or finds records that contain either term
   • but finds records that contain the first term but not the second term
   
   See Qualify and combine searches for more information.
5. (Optional) Specify qualifier(s):
   1. Select Format, Internet, Source, or Microform qualifiers from lists.
   2. Select a Language qualifier from the default short list of the nine most used languages, or customize the short list, or expand the list to select from the hundreds of languages valid for MARC records.
   3. Select Material Type qualifiers from the default short list of the ten most used, or customize the short list, or expand the list to select from over 100 material types indexed in WorldCat.
   4. To qualify by Year, enter a year or year range in the box. 
6. (Optional) Select the way you want search results to display. See Customize WorldCat search and browse interfaces for more information.

    Note: The Display Search Results setting applies to command line and guided search results and to results displayed when you open an entry on a Browse WorldCat List that contains more than one record.

7. Click OK or press <Enter>. See Use WorldCat search results.

Guided search guidelines

• Enter a search term (word, phrase, whole phrase, number, or derived) in any of three Search for boxes. (Note that you can search indexes for words, phrases, or whole phrases.)
• To search one index using multiple terms, enter the terms in a single Search for box.
  • Entering and to combine the terms is optional. The system "ands" terms by default; that is, it finds records that contain all of the terms.
    
    Enter or between terms to find records containing any of the terms, or enter not between terms to find records that exclude terms.
  • Enter proximity operators with (w) or near (n) to combine the search terms. Add numbers (1 to 25) to specify the number of intervening words.
  • Enclose words in quotation marks to find the exact sequence of words.
    
    Examples:
    • natural and foods
    • natural w1 foods
    • "natural foods"
• To search multiple indexes, enter search terms in separate Search for boxes.
  • Select an index from the lists to the right of the Search for boxes.

     Note: You can also type an index label (with a colon or equal sign) preceding the search in the Search for box to override any selection in the index list. If you do not type an index label, Connexion always uses the index selected in the list.

  • Select an operator AND, OR or NOT from the lists to the left of the Search for boxes to combine search terms in separate boxes for separate indexes
  • For an OCLC Control Number search, select the index from the list, or precede the number with the index label (no:), an asterisk (*), or the number sign (#). To add the OCLC number index to the short index list, see Customize WorldCat search and browse interfaces.
  • For an ISBN search, select the ISBN index from the list, or precede the number with the index label (bn:).
• (Optional) Use wildcards, truncation, and plurals. For keyword searches, type symbols for wildcards (# or ?), truncation (*), and plural endings (+) in place of characters to expand a search term.  See Use wildcards, truncation, or plurals for details.
   Note:
  • Wildcard, truncation, and plural stemming symbols must be preceded by at least three characters.
  • These symbols are not supported for non-Latin-script search terms.
• (Optional) Enter or select qualifiers (see step 6 in the procedure above).