HOW TO SEARCH …………………. By Mamoun Al Rahhal

How to Search Before you start a search operation. Optional selections. Function buttons. Filling Criteria fields. Operators between terms within a field. Operators between criteria fields.

Before you start a search operation If you would like to do a search for “Studies in Arabic language on water in Syria” Here you have three main factors in your search {Water, Syria and Arabic Language}. In this case it’s not good to say: “I need Studies about water” and stop because you will get many records you don’t need.

Optional selections buttons  Exact match of words : With this box you can choose the way you want the system to treat all the terms specified in the criteria fields. If the box is not selected, this means that each term is treated as a stem (in ISIS it corresponds to the $ mask).  Format combo box selection Format: { Short Format } { Full Format } Here you can select one of the formats to display the search result. If you do not know what the size of the answer is likely to be, start with the short format.  Sort combo box selection Sort: { by Author } { by Title } { Chronologically } With this combo-box you can select the sort method for the search results.

Exact match of words :  Exact match of words : With this box you can choose the way you want the system to treat all the terms specified in the criteria fields. If the box is not selected, this means that each term is treated as a stem (in ISIS it corresponds to the $ mask). EXAMPLE: Econometric Economy Economist = econom $ Economics

Format combo box selection { Short Format } { Full Format }

Sort combo box selection By Author By Title Chronological

Function Buttons SEARCH Use the SEARCH button when you have completed your query formulation, and all other selections on the questionnaire have been made.  CLEAR The CLEAR button can be used to clear all the criteria fields.  UNDO Use the UNDO button to clear your last input. If, therefore, you have entered any text to a field since your last log-on to the server, UNDO clears your last input from the form generated by the query.  SAVE FORM Use to save your search query in the favorite ’ s list.

Filling Criteria fields If you make a search and would like to specify more than one term in a field, you must: 1.Enter the requested terms, separating them with a semicolon. If you do not know whether the term exists in the database, you can use the LIST button; 2.Select the option AND as a term operator if you want to find records where both terms appear in the field; 3.Select the option OR if you want to find the record where at least one of the selected terms appears.

LIST BUTTON Use the LIST button to view the search terms.

Operators between terms within a field  The terms in one search criteria field may be OR or AND, depending on the choice made in the AND/OR combo box. So, if the user wishes to find documents containing the terms “water" and “syria" in the title, he/she can specify as in the example below:  The basic ISIS logic operators can also be used: + for OR * for AND ^ for AND NOT  If the field contains ISIS boolean operators, the selection AND/OR does not change them. See the example below

Operators between criteria fields The logic operators AND, OR or NOT can be used between the subqueries specified in the criteria fields. If a given criterion field has to be AND with the subqueries preceding it, select the operator AND from the preceding inter-field Boolean AND/OR/NOT radio buttons

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