Search Operators

Search Operators are used to refine searches. The search operators may be used to create AND, OR and EXACT PHRASE searches. Wildcard searches can be especially helpful when you're not sure of the complete document number, or to ensure that you find all variations of keywords.

AND Search Operator

• Narrows search - document must contain BOTH words.
• Spaces between Keywords and ASCII Text result in an AND search.
• For example, entering water tanks will search for instances of "water" AND "tanks" within documents.

OR Search Operator

• Broadens search - document can contain EITHER word.
• Semicolons (;) between terms results in an OR search.
• For example, a search on heat;friction finds every separate instance of heat or friction.

EXACT PHRASE Searching

• Narrows search - document must contain the exact phrase.
• Quotation marks (") around a group of words denotes an exact phrase search, where results are returned for those exact words.

Wildcards

• Widens search - The asterisk * wildcard represents an unspecified number of characters.
• Use wildcards with single terms only. If you use a wildcard after a search string containing several terms, the program retrieves millions of results, too many to be useful. You can use the asterisk wildcard at the beginning, middle or end of a term

  Examples:

  Keyword Search: cap*
  Finds: cap, capacitor, capacitors, caps

  Document Number Search: Mil-C-12*
  Finds: All document numbers starting with MIL-C-12, such as, MIL-C-12002A, MIL-C-12124, MIL-C-123/10A, MIL-C-123A

  Document Number Search: *123
  Finds: All document numbers ending with 123

  Document Number Search: ASTM*123
  Finds: All documents with the prefix ASTM and ending with 123

  Document Number Search: *123*
  Finds: All documents containing 123