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Command Search
             

This search is available from the Basic Search screen. Command Search may be used for a simple keyword search, but it also allows for more complex searches that combine multiple terms from one or more fields of a bibliographic record. Searches may be constructed using single terms or phrases, or multiple terms may be combined using index codes. The Command Search is not case sensitive. Search limits are available for Command Searches, and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) may be used.   The Command Search is a relevance keyword search.

Selected List of Index Codes

 

Index Codes Examples of use
NKEY (Name): Searches for material by individual people and corporate bodies. Retrieves records with names within and across fields that describe personal and corporate authors, creators, and editors.  Does not search for names in title or subject fields. NKEY SHAKESPEARE WILLIAM

NKEY SHAKESPEARE NOT NKEY WILLIAM

NKEY SHAKESPEARE AND NKEY NICHOLAS

NKEY TOM AND NKEY WOLFE

 
TKEY (Title):  Searches for words or an exact phrase within and across fields  describing titles and series. Does not search for titles as subjects. TKEY CANTERBURY AND TKEY TALES

TKEY CANTERBURY TALES

TKEY BONFIRE AND TKEY VANITIES
JKEY (Journal or Serial Title): Searches for words or an exact phrase in catalog records for serials only within and across fields describing titles and series. Does not search for titles as subjects.  This search is similar to the TKEY search, but includes the built in limit of Serials as item type. JKEY JOURNAL AND  JKEY WILDLIFE

JKEY INFORMATION PLEASE ALMANAC

JKEY INFORMATION AND JKEY ALMANAC
SKEY (Subject Keyword Anywhere): Searches for words or phrases only within and across authorized subject heading fields. SKEY POLAR AND SKEY BEARS

SKEY POLAR BEAR

SKEY POLAR BEAR NOT SKEY JUVENILE
GKEY (General Keyword Anywhere): Searches for words or phrases anywhere in the bibliographic record. GKEY DOG AND GKEY SCHOLAR

GKEY OXFORD AND GKEY UNIVERSITY AND GKEY PRESS AND GKEY 2005

 

Selected Examples of Combined Index Codes

 

Examples of multiple index codes and terms What is searched
NKEY AUSTEN AND SKEY ENGLAND AND TKEY VIDEORECORDING Searches for records with the author "Austen", subject "England" and title term "videorecording". 
SKEY CULTS AND GKEY OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Searches for the subject "cults" and the phrase "Oxford University Press".
NKEY GLADWELL AND TKEY BLINK Searches for records with the author "Gladwell" and the title term "Blink".
TKEY BUDGET AND NKEY BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY Searches for records with the title term "budget and the author phrase "Boise State University".
JKEY NURSING AND SKEY DATA PROCESSING Searches for the serial title term "nursing" and the subject phrase "data processing".
GKEY MCCAIN COLLECTION FOR WESTERN LIFE AND NKEY MCMURTRY Searches for the general phrase "McCain Collection for Western Life" and the author "McMurtry".

Click here to see a comprehensive list of index codes available for the Command Search in the Voyager Catalog.

ARIEL UNICODE MS is the recommended font for viewing Search Tips. The screen may not display properly in other fonts.
Search Tips: Limits Limits may only be used with Keyword, Title, Journal Title, and Author (Personal or Corporate) searches.
Limits are retained between searches until they are removed.
Use Quick Limit to apply a single, commonly-used limit to your current search.
Use Limits to apply one or more limits (such as years, languages, locations, etc.) to a search.
Quick Limit and Limits cannot be used simultaneously.
Keyword The default Keyword search is a relevance search that combines terms with 'and'.
To truncate, use a question mark. For example: child? will retrieve child, child's, children, childhood, etc.
To search phrases, use quotes. For example:"French Revolution"
Title and Journal Title Omit initial articles (a, an, the, el, la, etc.) when doing a title search:
lewis and clark journals rather than the lewis and clark journals
Author (Personal or Corporate) For individuals, enter last name first, followed by first name, if known: shakespeare william
Enter names of organizations or groups: american psychological association
Subject Browse Searches Library of Congress Subject headings. For this search to work, terms must be entered in exact order.
Example: united states history rather than history united states
If the search does not work, try a Keyword or Keyword Within Subject search where word order does not matter.
Call Number Searching Albertsons Library uses several types of call number searches. Call Number Browse will search any of these types. For all, type as much of the call number as you know, including spaces and punctuation.
  • LC call number example: ND553.M37 A4 1986
  • Dewey Decimal call number example: 808.02 Sh25a 2002
  • Government Documents call number example: PrEx 2.2:B 62
  • Other call number examples:
                a.  MATH Elem. Allyn (for CRC textbooks)
                b.  MICROFICHE 123
                c.  M 1183 (for phonorecords)
                d.  MSS 021 (for manuscript collections)
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    This file last modified 02/20/09