Search Instructions and Hints for OCLC WorldCat

In general, the greater the specificity of the term(s) used in the query, the more efficient and effective the search will be.

Component Word Searching

The following component word searches are possible via this search form (utilizing either of 2 structured attributes: word list or phrase):

• Author - name personal
• Author - name conference
• Author - name corporate
• Corporate name (authors and subjects)
• Subject and subject subdivision (including geographic names)
• Notes
• Title

Use phrase if your search term contains the first significant word of a field and every word thereafter (i.e., word order is significant).

Use word list for all other search terms (e.g., terms that contain one or more words in any order).

Note: Truncation (using the asterisk symbol *) is supported.

Search Term Processing Guidelines

For word list searches, the search term specified in the query can be present anywhere in a searchable field and need not appear at the beginning of the field.

For phrase searches, the search term must be an exact match (starting with the first word), or an exact match up to a truncation symbol (*).

If a query contains words in multiple search terms (i.e., separated by a Boolean operator), the words can appear in different fields in the same record.

A keyword search term for a personal name can be either the first, middle, or last name (or a combination).

Helpful Hints

1. Use English equivalents for special letters (e.g., Polish L) and omit diacritics.
2. Do not include stop words in the search term ("stop words" include articles, prepositions, and conjunctions).

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SEARCHING PERSONAL NAMES

1. For the most exact form of the name, search personal names as phrases and in indirect order, using comma (,) between first and last names and truncation symbol (*) after first name. (e.g. Washington, George* will retrieve all headings Washington, George and Washington, George with any added data).
2. To search personal names as both authors and subjects, specify a combined search as author - name personal "or" subject.
3. To search personal names as subjects only, specify subject search.
4. Do not enter dates or titles.
5. Include hyphens.

SEARCHING CORPORATE NAMES

Searching a corporate name as author using phrase as the structure attribute with no truncation symbol (*) will retrieve all headings beginning with that corporate name heading , with or without added words, data, or subfields.

1. To search corporate names as both authors and subjects, specify corporate name search, and specify either phrase or word list as the structure attribute.
2. To search corporate names as subjects only, specify subject search, and specify either phrase, using truncation symbol (*), or word list as the structure attribute.
3. Include hyphens.

SEARCHING GEOGRAPHIC NAMES

To search geographic names specify subject search, and specify phrase as the structure attribute. This will retrieve both geographic subject headings and geographic subdivisions of topical subject headings.

SEARCHING SUBJECTS

1. To search a subject when you do not know the standard subject heading, specify a subject search and specify word list as the structure attribute.
   1. Choose a few distinct words in any order.
   2. Use words at least 3 characters long.
   3. Avoid common words.
   4. Include hyphens.
   5. Specify word list as structure attribute.
2. To search subjects when you know how the standard subject heading begins, specify a subject search and specify phrase as the structure attribute. This will retrieve all subject headings beginning with the phrase including those with subdivisions (e.g. search dogs will retrieve dogs; dogs -- breeding; dogs -- photographs).

 

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