Brooks Free Library

Simplified Search Syntax

To find documents containing the exact word, enter the word only, then press Search.

In Simplified Search, spaces between words are interpreted as an OR operation. Entering the phrase "holiday pay" will find every document containing either the word holiday or the word pay.

Documents containing both words will score higher in the Search Results page.

To find documents that contain the exact phrase, enter the desired phrase within quotation marks: “holiday pay.”

Simplified Search special operators include the plus + and the minus - signs:

• document region (Finds documents that contain either word)
• document + region (Finds documents that contain both words)
• document - region (Finds documents containing the first word but not the second word)
• - region (Finds documents that do not contain a word)

Proximity Searches are supported implicitly with Simplified Search Syntax. Words which are closer together will score higher than words which are further apart in documents.

For more information, see the site Help Documentation.

Precise Search Syntax

The following are valid searches:

To find documents with the exact word, enter only the word into the Search Dialogue box: i.e., Holiday, then press Search.

To find documents containing an exact phrase, enter the phrase with no symbols: i.e., Holiday pay, then press Search.

Precise Search utilizes Boolean Operator syntax. Boolean Operators are words, not symbols, and do not require the use of italics, parentheses or quotation marks. Enter Boolean Operators as follows:

• document and region
• document or region
• document and not region
• not region

Removing the power of Boolean Operators

• rock "and" roll - will find "rock and roll"
• to be "or" "not" to be, will find "to be or not to be"

Proximity Searches

• payroll near laws
• payroll near(5) laws