ParlInfo Search Tips

Default Search Behaviour

By default, Basic Search finds every document record that contains all of your search terms. This differs from common web search engines which, by default, also find document records that contain only some of your search terms.

Example:
jones smith 2007
finds records that have all three terms within one record.

To emphasise this point:

In Basic Search, more search terms imply a narrower search, matching fewer document records.
In web search engines, more search terms imply a wider search matching more document records.

Strategies for working with Basic Search's default behaviour are:

Start with broadly descriptive terms.
- Example:
  immigration
- To reduce the number of document records found, add more specific terms
- Example:
  immigration illegal detention
- or remove the more general ones.
- Example:
  illegal detention
Start with narrowly descriptive terms.
- Example:
  murray darling
- To increase the number of document records found, remove the more specific terms and use more general ones.
- Example:
  water

Go beyond Basic Search's default behaviour by:

using search expressions that include Search Operators
- Example:
  jones | smith | brown
  which finds records containing any of these terms. Search expressions take explicit advantage of a search engine that goes beyond the default behaviour.
using the options provided on the Search Results screen such as:
- Alternative Searches
- Browse By
using the Advanced Search/Browse tab