Using the Advanced Search tab

The Advanced Search tab helps you create terms & connectors searches. Terms & connectors searches contain multiple words, phrases, or citations connected to each other by special operational terms called connectors. They enable you to find documents where a given word or phrase is in the same paragraph as a second word or phrase or to find documents that contain a given word or phrase, but not certain other words or phrases, and so on. You can use the Advanced Search tab to create a terms & connectors search in its entirety or to add terms & connectors to existing search terms you have entered manually.

For more information on terms & connectors searches, see Understanding terms & connectors searches.

Search terms

LabelExplanation
Find documents that:

Select the arrow to choose the condition you want from among the following options:

Include all these words

Select this to find documents that include all of the words you enter, regardless of their proximity to each another. In the box below, enter all the words a document must contain in order to appear in your results list and select Add to Search. The words are added to the search, and each word is separated by an "and" connector. If search terms already exist in the search box, the added terms are preceded by an "and" connector, meaning that documents will appear in the results list only if they satisy the existing search terms and include the words you added here.

Include this exact word or phrase

Select this to find documents that include the exact word or phrase you enter in the box below. In the box below, enter the word or phrase a document must contain in order to appear in your results list and select Add to Search. The word or phrase is added to the search bounded by quotation marks. If search terms already exist in the search box, the added terms are preceded by an "and" connector, meaning that documents will appear in the results list only if they satisy the existing search terms and include the exact word or phrase you added here.

Include one or more of these words

Select this to find documents that include any (i.e., one or more) of the words you enter in the box below. In the box below, enter any word or words a document must contain in order to appear in your results list and select Add to Search. The word or words are added to the search, bounded by parentheses and separed by the "or" connector. If search terms already exist in the search box, the added terms are preceded by an "and" connector, meaning that documents will appear in the results list only if they satisy the existing search terms and include any of the words you added here.

Exclude these words

Select this to find documents that do not include any of the words you enter in the box below. In the box below, enter the word or words a document must not contain in order to appear in your results list and select Add to Search. The word or words are added to the search, separated by the "and not" connector. If search terms already exist in the search box, the added terms are preceded by an "and not" connector, meaning that documents will appear in the results list only if they satisy the existing search terms and do not include any of the words you added here.

Include these words near each other

Select this to find documents that include a word or words that are within a given number of words from another word or words. In the box to the left of the within "n" words drop-down list, enter a word or words a document must contain. In the box to the right, enter another word or words the document must contain. From the within "n" words drop-down, select the number of words that indicates the proximity the first word or words must have to the second word or words in order for the document to appear in your results list. Select Add to Search. The first word or set of words and the second word or set of words are added to the search, separated by the "near/n" connector, where "n" is the number of words of proximity you specified. If search terms already exist in the search box, the added terms are preceded by an "and" connector, meaning that documents will appear in the results list only if they satisy the existing search terms and they contain the first word or set of words and the second word or set of words you within the proximity you specified.

Note: When choosing a value from the within "n" words drop-down list, you may find it helpful to think about proximity this way:
This valueMeans the specified words
1 wordAppear next to each other.
2 words, 3 words, 4 words, 5 wordsAppear in approximately the same phrase.
10 words, 15 wordsAppear in approximately the same sentence.
25 words, 50 wordsAppear in approximately the same paragraph.
Add to SearchSelect this to add your specified terms to the search box.

Connectors

LabelExplanation
Select a connector to add to your search

Select the arrow to select the connector or wildcard character you want. A brief description of the connector or wildcard character appears below the Function heading, and an example appears beneath the Example heading. For more information about connectors and wildcard characters, see Understanding terms & connectors searches, Using * and ! to find variations at the end of root words, and Using ? to find variations within words.

Add to SearchSelect this to add the selected connector or wildcard character to the search box.
LabelExplanation
SearchSelect this to start your search.

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