Help: Research Tools: CU Library Catalog: Basic Searches:

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Command Keyword Searches

A Command Keyword search allows you complete flexibility in constructing a search, just enter your search terms and commands in the search box. Searches can be as simple as a single word or include arrangements of multiple terms or phrases that can be restricted to specific fields of a catalog record. Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) may be used to combine search terms in order to narrow or broaden a search. Search Limits are available for Command Keyword searches.

See Compare Search Types  for an overview of all of the CU Library Catalog searches.

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To Perform a Command Keyword Search:

1.    If desired, set Search Limits.  Search Limits may be set before or after your search to restrict by year, language, item type, medium, location, and/or publication status.

2.    Click Command Keyword in the Search by: box.

3.    In the Search for: box, type the search words or phrase. 

• Use quotation marks to search phrases: "artificial intelligence"
• Use a question mark with partial words to find variant endings: manage? finds manager, managers, management, etc.

4.    If you want to combine search terms or phrases, use Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT: 

• internet AND copyright
• internet OR "local area network"
• internet NOT web

5.    Use parentheses to nest or group search terms together: (residence OR home OR housing) AND (elderly OR aged)

6.    Use field codes to restrict a search to a specific index or field of a catalog record.  Each part of a catalog record--author, title, publisher, date of publication, subject headings, series, etc.--is a searchable index or field. A Command Keyword search will find search terms in the indexes you specify. Each of these indexes has been given a four-letter field code:

Index	Field Code
Author/Creator	nkey
Title	tkey
Publisher/Place/Date	kpub
Subject	skey
Series	seri

Other available field codes.

7.    If desired, choose a Quick Limit.

8.    Choose the number of records to display per page.

9.    Click Search.

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Search Tip:

• Compare with Guided Keyword searches, which supply these searching indexes from drop-down lists.
• Enter a field code before a search term to look for that term in a specific field.

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More Examples:

Enter:	Searches:
tkey emancipation	For the keyword "emancipation" in the Title field of records.
nkey smith AND california	For the keyword "smith" in the Author field and the keyword "california" in all fields of records.
skey merger? AND kpub 1999	For the keywords "merger" or "mergers" in the Subject field and the date 1999 in the Publisher/Place/Date field of records.

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Interpreting your Search Results and Displays