Combine search terms and statuses
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Note: The following tips cover combining search terms and statuses. Tips apply to keyword searches in bibliographic and authority save files, both online and local, and to LC authority file keyword/numeric searches, depending on the various search parameters in each search dialog. See Search WorldCat interactively for specific information about using truncation, wildcards, and plural endings.
Combine search terms in one index
To search for multiple terms in one index, type all terms and Boolean operators in one Search for field in the Search dialog for the type of save file you are searching:
To find records that ... | Enter ... | Example |
---|---|---|
Contain all specified multiple terms (and) | [term 1] [term 2] Or [term 1] and [term 2] A space between terms is treated as a and. |
transportation safety gaudier and brzeska |
Contain at least one of the specified multiple terms (or) | [term 1] or [terms 2] | radiography or radiology |
Do not contain one or more specified terms (not) | [term 1] not [term 2] Or [term 1] or [term 2] not [term 3] |
college education not elementary brzeska not gaudier |
Contain one or more groups of terms combined with other terms (terms grouped in parentheses) | [term 1] ([term 2] or [term 3]) Or [term 1] or ([term 2] or [term 3]) Or [term 1] or ([term 2] [term 3]) |
clinical (trial* or research) |
Combine search terms in multiple indexes
To search for single terms in more than one index, type each term in separate Search for fields in the Search dialog for the save file you want to search and combine by selecting a Boolean operator and an index from the Search dialog lists:
Boolean operator | Retrieves | Example |
---|---|---|
AND | Only records that contain both terms | For online authority save file: food (topical index) AND Smith (personal name index) |
OR | Records that contain at least one of the terms | For online bibliographic save file: universities (title index) OR 20040707 (used date index) |
NOT | Records that do not contain the term | For local bibliographic save file: persuasion (title index) NOT austen (name index) |
Combine statuses
Combining status criteria with AND narrows the search. The system retrieves only records that each contain all specified status values:
- You can AND status values of different types. Use more than one status box in a save file search dialog to search for records with a specific statuses.
- Example: In the Search Online Bibliographic Save File dialog: Workflow: New AND Source: Imported AND Action: Validate Completed
- You can AND action status values to search for records on which you have taken various actions. Select Action Status in two or three list boxes and then select a different action name for each.
- Example: In the Search Local Authority Save File dialog: Action: Add Completed AND Action: Esport Completed
- You retrieve no records if you try to AND multiple values for the same action category (e.g., Export Failed AND Export Completed retrieves no records). A record can have only one value for each action.
- You retrieve no records if you try to AND multiple values for workflow status or source status (e.g., Extracted AND Derived retrieves no records). A record can have only one value for each of these status types.
Combining status criteria with OR broadens the search. The system retrieves records that contain any of the specified status values:
- You can search for records with at least one of two or three possible values for different status types.
- Example: In the Search Local Bibliographic Save File dialog: Workflow: New OR Source: Derived OR Action: Validate Completed
- You can OR two or three possible values for the same status type. Select the same status type in two or three list boxes, select OR as the operator, and then select the status values.
- Example: In the Search Online Bibliographic Save File dialog: Source: Workform OR Source: Imported
Always use AND to combine WorldCat record Locked status with any other search criteria, limiting results to locked records that also match other specified terms, statuses, etc.