Search Tips

Full Text Search

The fastest, simplest way to search for articles is by typing words into the Search For box at the top of the page. Then click the Search button, and you'll get a list of all articles containing those words. (Very common words such "the" and "of" are ignored.) The most relevant articles will be at the top of the list, but you can re-order the list by headline, author, date published, or section: Just click the heading at the top of the column you want to sort by.

You can also do Boolean searches and use wildcard characters.

Copy Your Search Result

This feature is a handy way to save your search results. Once you've run the search that you want to save, click the Copy Your Search Result link. Then paste the URL wherever you want to save it: in an e-mail, in a document, etc. The next time you want to perform the same search, just click the URL again. (The search is performed anew each time you follow the link. For example, suppose you save a search for an author's name on Monday. If you follow the link again on Friday, the search results will list everything you got on Monday, plus any articles the author wrote between Monday and Friday.)

How To Do Boolean Searches Search offers advanced search methods, such as Boolean functions and wild card characters. These are described below.

Boolean Search OperatorsYou can qualify your search by including the words "and," "or," "not," and "near." You may also qualify your search by using parentheses and quotes. These Boolean search operators and their functions are listed below.

Term1 AND Term2 Both terms must be included in the article. "Term1 Term2" This exact phrase must appear in the article. Term1 OR Term2 One or the other term must be included in the article. Term1 NEAR Term2 The two terms must appear within eight words of each other.

Using a Wild Card CharacterWhen conducting a search, you may use an asterisk (*) to represent multiple characters. A search for "gun*" will return these articles plus articles containing "gunnery," "gunplay" and so on.

A "*" may be used only at the end of a search term. If you use a wild card, your search must be at least four characters long (including the "*").