Structured Search Help

 

Functionality

The Structured Search page provides a simple interface to the database for fielded term searches only. There are 4 steps to using the structured search page:

  1. Enter your search term or terms into the input box to the right of the field you are interested in searching.
  2. Select an operator from menus to the left of the field or fields you are searching.
  3. Select your preferred display formats under Display Options.
  4. Hit the Search button.

Some things to note:

  • The 'Front Page' option will search all fields on the front page of the document (bibliographic data + abstract) and the 'Any Field' option will include the full text of the document (Front Page + description and claims).
  • If you want to search for a single term or all the terms together, you can leave the operator at its default value (AND).
  • The search is case-insensitive. Searching for Needle and searching for needle will produce the same results.
  • The Start At box allows you to enter a number to skip to in your search results list. For long search results lists, entering '250' in the Start At box is easier than hitting the 'Next 50 Hits' button 5 times.
 

Search Features

 

Field Searching

The Structured Search page allows you to search within the individual fields found within the documents. The search page contains one text entry box for each searchable field. Also, you can select any field you want to search from the selection menu. This is useful to search for more than one term in a particular field. To narrow your search to hits occurring within a single field, just enter the term into the appropriate box, or select the desired field from the menu.

A search in Any Field will search all the entire front page bibliographic text and available full text of claims and descriptions.

A search in Front Page will search all front page bibliographic text. The full text of claims and descriptions will not be searched.

 

Phrase Searching

If you surround a group of words with quotation marks ("), everything surrounded by those "s will be treated as a single search term. This allows you to search for a multi-word phrase rather than specifying each word as a separate term.

 

Proximity Searching

The Structured search page allows you to search for terms that occur near one another (currently, within 5 words).

Example

If you entered toy in the English Abstract box, animal* in the next box, changed the associated field to English Abstract, and selected NEAR from the next menu, you'd receive back a list of all documents which contain the words toy and animals in the English Abstract field, and in close proximity (5 words) to one another. Contrast this with selecting 'and', where the two terms are not required to be in proximity to one another.

 

Right Truncation

The Structured Search page supports right truncation in queries. This allows you to use a wildcard on the right side of a search term, to match words that start with a certain string.

Example

If you searched for elec*, you'd get many hits, as anything with words starting with 'elec' anywhere in their text would match. Words like electric, electronic and election would all match.

 

Simple Boolean Expressions

You can use the Structured search page to compose multiple term boolean queries with simple, easy-to-use tools. A boolean query is simply one where you specify that a specific relationship must exist between any two terms you provide. You can specify that either both must be true (the AND operator) at least one must be true (the OR operator), the first must be true and the second false (the ANDNOT operator), that at least one must be true, but not both (the XOR operator) or that the two terms must occur near (within 5 words of) each other (the NEAR operator). To apply an operator to a pair of terms, select the operator to the left of the second term in the pair.

Example

If you entered simpson in the Applicant Name box, Surfing in the English Abstract box and selected AND from the menu to the left of English Abstract, you'd receive back a list of all documents which contain Simpson in the applicant name field, and the word surfing in the abstract field.

   

Multi-Language Support

Each search and result page is available in a French, English and Spanish version. Clicking on the English, French or Spanish icons in the upper right hand corner of a page will switch your display mode to the language represented. For document display, field headings and document text are presented in the language selected.

   

Adjustable Display Format

The Results menu at the top right of the Structured Search page allows the user to select how the the results of a search should appear.

  • A menu allows you to select how many results to show on one results page. You can always use the 'Next X' and 'Previous X' hits button to move through all your results.
  • A checkbox labeled 'Separate window' allows you to have the individual documents from your result list displayed in a separate window from your list, allowing you to keep an overview while reading.
  • A series of check boxes labeled with field names (Pub. Date, Int. Class, etc.) allow you to select which items will be displayed on a search results page. Pub. No. and Title are included by default, but you can include as many of the available items as desired.
 

Interactive Search Query History

For users who create an account, a history is kept of the last 20 searches performed. Each history entry is assigned a number, listed along with a brief summary in the History frame, at the bottom of the page. History entries allow the user to click on the number next to a search and bring the results of that search up in the results window.

Four buttons below your list of history entries will allow you to update and maintain your historical list:

  • Pressing the Delete Entries button will permanently remove any entries you've checked off on your list. If an entry is marked Save it will not be removed.
  • Pressing the Mark Entries: Save button will set the Save mark on any entries you've checked off on your list. An entry marked Save will not be automatically deleted when you run out of room in your history list. Note: If all of your entries have been marked as saved, and you attempt to add another entry, it will be lost.
  • Pressing the Mark Entries: Update button will set the Update mark on any entries you've checked off on your list. An entry marked Update will be updated to reflect any changes that have been made to the database since the original search was performed whenever you push the Update Entries button.
  • Pressing the Update Entries button will update any entries marked Update to reflect any changes that have been made to the database since the original search was performed.

Note: Marking an entry Save or Update that already has that mark will remove the mark.

 

Search Statistics

Detailed information about your results are available by clicking on the 'Search Summary' link at the top of each search results page. This will show how many times each of your terms occurred in how many documents, and the intermediate results of applying all of your specified boolean operators. Also, the total time required to conduct the search is listed. This information should assist you in refining your search.

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