What is Word (Keyword) Searching?

Keywords are any words that you choose to use in your search.

Word searching allows you to find materials by matching your keywords to words in the cataloging record for specific library materials owned in the four NYPL Research Libraries, and displays the list of results that match your search.

Word searching is the most powerful search you can do because all the parts (fields) of records are searched, and words and phrases are matched within the author, title, series, subject headings, publisher, contents notes, and notes.

How Do I Construct a Word Search?

Select words that describe your topic with consideration of narrower or broader terms. Consider possible phrases or synonyms or alternate terms to use. Note that multiple words will be searched as a phrase.

To override phrase searching use AND, OR, AND NOT. Multiple concepts should be connected with AND, OR, AND NOT to create your search. These connectors are called Boolean Operators.

Use Parentheses when combining multiple concepts with synonyms, or you will receive erroneous results.
For example:

• (theatre or theater) and (scenery or set design)
• (target or niche) marketing

The proximity Operators NEAR and WITHIN will find words:

• a specific distance apart from each other
• within the same field of a record
• in any order

• tax within 4 (gift or inherit* or estate) and not real

After your initial search, consider modifying your search for improved results. Click on the Modify button if results are too narrow or broad.

Are there Restrictions or Rules?

Words are searched as a phrase, in the exact order entered:

• woven fabrics will not find fabrics woven
  
• niche marketing will not find marketing niche
  
• jewelry making will not find making jewelry

To override exact order, insert the Boolean operators AND, OR, or AND NOT between words:

• woven and fabrics will find the words in any order anywhere in record
  but will not find wovens and fabric ...so use truncation to search for variant endings
• niche and marketing will find the words in any order anywhere in record
• but will not find niche and market ...so use truncation to search for variant endings
• jewelry and making will find the words in any order anywhere in record
  but will not find jewelry and designing ...so add synonyms, such as jewelry and (design* or mak*)

Use Wildcards and synonyms to expand your search:

• costume and design will find the words in any order anywhere in record
• costum* and design* will find the words in any order and with variant endings
• (costum* or fashion or apparel or cloth*) and design* will find various synonyms, variant word endings and in any order anywhere in record

Why Choose Word Searching?

A Word search is powerful because it can search all parts (fields) of the catalog record.

However, it can also be very focused, if you specify your search terms to appear in certain fields. Use this technique when you know the name of the author and one word of the title or subject heading:

• a:shakespeare and t:shrew
• geology and s:periodicals
• advertising and s:handbooks

The search terms are highlighted in red wherever they appear in a record retrieved by your search:

What are Some Strategies for Keyword Searches?

Learn to apply specific strategies and features for more precise searches. These strategies apply to all types of informational searches and will save time and aid in finding what you need.

• Use Wildcards and Truncation symbols to get all variations of a word.
• Use Boolean Operators AND, OR, AND NOT and Proximity Operators NEAR, WITHIN # when constructing your search.
• Nest Parentheses around search words when combining multiple concepts.
• Use a variety of Limit features, such as publication date, language, or by format needed.
• use the Modify button after initial search using words found in cataloging records as a source for other keywords, synonyms or alternate terms, and narrower terms or broader terms.
• Use the Search History to return to previous search results

For Best Keyword Results...

Construct a search with consideration for terms and strategy:

• Choose the most descriptive keywords.
• Use Wildcards (* or ** or ?) to get word variations:
  • wom?n or labo?r
  • comput* and graphic* and (color or colo?r)
  • (gender or sex*) near ident*
• Consider possible phrases (two or more words together):
  • culinary arts
  • international relations
  • biological diversity
  • set design
• Add synonyms or alternate terms (use OR to connect):
  • culinary arts OR cuisine
  • international relations OR diplomacy
  • biological diversity OR biodiversity
  • set design OR scenery
• Search multiple words or multiple concepts together using AND, OR, AND NOT, NEAR, WITHIN.
  Use Parentheses around terms to group them for correct results:
  • (culinary arts OR cuisine) AND (france OR french)
  • (international relations OR diplomacy) AND (treaties OR treaty)
  • (biological diversity OR biodiversity) AND (conserv* OR ecology*)
  • (set design OR scenery) AND (theatre OR theater)

Click on Subject Headings within a catalog record to narrow your search results.
Subject Heading searches may be more precise than Word searches because Subject Headings are assigned to describe specifically the main topics in a particular work.