Further Help With Searching

Words can be entered in any combination of upper and lower case; it will make no difference to the search.

You can use the asterisk symbol * as a "wildcard" in any part of a word to widen your search. For example entering tunnel* will bring up tunnels, tunneling, tunneled, and tunnel. Entering *ground will bring up Underground, Overground etc. Adding an asterisk to the end of a word will allow you to search for both the singular and plural versions of that term, e.g. if you type marriage* into the search engine, you will find results for the words 'marriage' and 'marriages'. However, typing marri* will find results for ‘marriage’, ‘married’, and ‘marries’, because the asterisk is placed after the ‘i’.

You can use Boolean searching to narrow your results.

+ represents Boolean And, meaning the search result must include both words, e.g. roundel+platform will show all records with both roundel and platform in the title or description fields.

- represents Boolean Not, meaning the search result must exclude the second word, e.g. platform-roundel will show all records that mention platform apart from those that also include roundel.

| represents Boolean Or, meaning that the search result may include either word, e.g. roundel|design will show all records with the word roundel as well as all records with design in the title or description fields.

There are three ways to refine the search option:

• to search only for records that contain your search terms ('with all words')
• to search for records which contain at least one, but not necessarily all of your search terms ('with at least one of the words')
• to exclude from your search certain words or phrases that you are not interested in and that might otherwise be called up by the search criteria that you have chosen ('without the words').

The search results are presented as a hitlist in 4 columns:

Results can be arranged alpha-numerically by clicking on the column heading. For example, clicking on the heading of the ‘Date’ column will rearrange all results to appear in numerical order according to date (i.e. chronological order), whereas clicking on the heading of the ‘Title’ column will rearrange all results to appear in numerical then alphabetical order (i.e. A-Z, but preceded by any records whose titles start with a number).

If the results extend to more than one page click on Next and Previous to navigate through the pages.

To view further details about a specific record, click on it. Once you are viewing this fuller record description, you can click on the SysID field to see the record in an outline (tree) view of the collection to which it belongs.

If you are looking at an individual record and wish to return to the overview list of search results press “Back” on the toolbar at the top of the screen. Alternatively you can click on the words “Search Results” above the full record view. Clicking on "Advanced Search" will allow you to begin a new search.

If you want to browse through a particular series it is possible to do so by accessing the “Hierarchy Browser”.

Example: If you are looking at the full record view for “Dog Fares” you will see the SysID LT000560/036 . If you click on this code you will be able to view the “Hierarchy Browser” for the entire LT000560 series (some 600 records). Clicking on any of the codes in the browser list will take you directly to the full record view of that individual item. If you click on "Record" at the top of the “Hierarchy Browser” you will be able to view the full record for LT000560/036 once more