- Entering a query string:
If you enter a group of words, the search engine will find all documents that
contain all of the words you enter. You may use the "OR"
and "AND" and "NOT" boolean operators to specify your
search more particularly. For example:
Query String: geometry polyhedra tetrahedra - found pages will contain
of the terms.
Query String: geometry AND polyhedra AND tetrahedra - found pages will contain
all of the terms (equivalent to the above).
Query String: geometry AND polyhedra OR tetrahedra - found pages will contain
both geometry and polyhedra or they will contain tetrahedra. Items at the
beginning of the search string are grouped together first, so this will be
read as (geometry AND polyhedra) or tetrahedra. Note, however, that parentheses
are not allowed in search strings.
Query String: geometry AND (polyhedra OR tetrahedra) - illegal construction.
No parentheses allowed.
- Using Selection Boxes:
When you choose a selection box you are indicating that you would like to
narrow your search to only the criteria selected. So, for example, if you
type in the word "saturn" in the query box and select "Educational
Materials" and "Simulations" from the Content Type checkboxes,
you will receive a list of pages that contain the word "saturn"
on the page and are either educational materials or online simulations. If
in addition you click the "Observatory" checkbox under the Sections
area, you'll receive only those pages that match the previous search parameters
and are in addition located in the Observatory on the site. (In this case,
the search will probably turn up the same pages, since it is doubtful that
a page containing the word "saturn" will appear anywhere else than
in the Observatory. If, on the other hand, you select "saturn" and
go on to select "Geometry" from the Subjects categories or "Geometry
Center" from the sections categories, chances are your search will turn
up empty.)
- Refining Your Search:
If your search turns up pages that are not quite what you wanted, you
can go down to the bottom of the page and edit any of the search parameters
you entered and resubmit your search query.
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