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Help With Searching
The www.nhmrc.gov.au search is a fast, current and comprehensive full-text search service, Powered by the Funnelback search engine.
Users can search for information using simple, publication or advanced search mode. Searching on the publication and advanced search pages can be enhanced by the use of search criteria’s and by the use of Search Operators, which are symbols that can be added to a search in the simple search field or in the 'All the words' field in Advanced Search.
Simple Search
The Simple Search input box is located on the right-hand side of every page on www.nhmrc.gov.au. Type in your search word(s) and click 'Search'.
Publication Search
The Publication Search page is used to search the publications available on www.nhmrc.gov.au/funnelback/publications.htm and gives you more options for defining your search than a Simple Search does.
The Publication Search page provides the following options:
- Search for - like a Simple Search, typing your search words in here will return results containing one or more of those words. Results containing more of your search words will be displayed ahead of results containing fewer of your search words.
- Document title - typing the part or all the title will return results containing partial or complete document titles.
- Published date – selecting a date here will only return results containing documents that where published before, after or between the dates selected.
Some, or all of these criteria in a single search request, for example you can search for any of the words, the title of a document and by published dates.
Advanced Search
You can access the 'Advanced Search' below the Simple Search input box on each page. The Advanced Search page gives you more options for defining your search than a Simple Search does. It also gives you the option to extend your search to web sites maintained by the state and territory governments.
The Advanced Search page provides several criteria for searching:
- Search for - like a Simple Search, typing your search words in here will return results containing one or more of those words. Results containing more of your search words will be displayed ahead of results containing fewer of your search words.
- Results per page - you can use this setting to display a different number of results listed per page.
- Sort by – this option allows you to sort your results by ether relevance, date, URL or title. Documents are ranked by their relevance score, which takes into account the relative rarity of the query terms, the frequency with which they occur in the document and the length of the document. In addition, the scores of documents containing the query words in their title or in the URL of the page are boosted.
- File type - choosing an option here will limit search results to those results which are available in the chosen format.
Extended Options; used to allow users even finer control of the search. These options can be used either with of without the terms above.
- All the words - results will contain all of the words you have nominated.
- The phrase - results contain the words you nominated in the order you entered them.
- Optional words - results will contain one or more of the words entered. The results are not affected by the number of instances on the document.
- Without the words - the results will not contain the words entered. This field is generally only useful when used in conjunction with one of the first four fields.
- File/Folder name - this option allow you to limit your search results to the folder and file name entered, e.g. typing in funding will return documents that contain the word funding in the name.
Simple Search Results Page
The Simple Search results page has a 'Search Summary' which shows the number of pages fully or partially matching your query. If your search returns results, this will be followed by the search criteria entered then a list of matching pages.
You can also choose to search www.nhmrc.gov.au only or all Australian Government websites.
Some search results are divided up under these different headings:
- Fully matching documents - pages listed under this heading contain all the words that you searched for. These pages have been selected by the search engine.
- Documents matching (number) out of (total number) search constraints - pages listed under this heading contain some, but not all, of the words that you searched for. These pages have been selected by the search engine.
Refine Your Simple Search
If your search didn't return the results you were after, you can alter your search word(s) or click on ‘Refine your search’ to have use options.
Search Term Operators (advanced users)
The search will allow you to craft more detailed queries using specific search operators. For example, operators can be used to search for plural forms of your search words, or search for words that only partly match your search words.
All of the search operators listed below can be used in the simple search field or in the 'All the words' field in Advanced Search. The following are the most common search operators:
- Quote marks, e.g. "search words" - placing quote marks around a string of words will return results that contain all those words in that exact sequence. This is the same as using the 'The phrase' field in Advanced Search.
- Minus sign, e.g. search -words - placing a minus sign in front of a search term will return only results that do not contain that term. This is the same as using the 'Without the words' field in Advanced Search.
- Plus sign, e.g. search +words - placing a plus sign in front of a search term will return only results that contain that term. This is the same as using the 'All the words' field in Advanced Search.
- Exclamation mark, e.g. search !words - placing an exclamation mark in front of a search term will exclude documents containing the term from 'fully matching' results, but will still allow those documents to be returned as 'partially matching' results (by comparison, using a minus sign will not allow the documents to show up in either results list).
- Square brackets, e.g. [search words] - placing square brackets around a string of search terms will return 'fully matching' results that contain one or more of those terms. The results screen will not discriminate between results containing only one term and those containing more than one term. This is the same as using the 'At least one of the words' field in Advanced Search.
- Backquote marks, e.g. `search words` - placing backquote marks around a string of search terms will return only results that contain all those terms within a total space of 15 words.
- Asterisk(s), e.g. sear*, *arch, *ear* - placing asterisk(s) before and/or after a search term will return results that contain that term as well as any results that contain that term as part of a larger word (where the extra letters are positioned in place of the asterisk(s)).
- Hash, e.g. search# word# - placing a hash at the end of a search term will return results that contain that term as well as any results that contain a recognised variation, such as a plural or adjective form of the term (even if that form alters the spelling of the core term).
- D and bracket(s), e.g. d<20sep2004, d>apr2002, d>2001<2005, d<2002>2003 - D and bracket(s) are entered as a separate search term, and allow the user to limit their search results to those results last modified within a certain date range via the following syntax:
- d<(date) means results published before the date;
- d>(date) means results published after the date;
- d>(date)<(date) means results published after the first date but before the second date; or
- d<(date)>(date) means results published before the first date but after the second date.
- Dates can be written in several forms: 9feb2005 (full date, month and year); feb2005 (month and year only); or 2005 (year only).
For more help with using search operators, you can consult the Funnelback Search User Help page.