How to Do a Detailed Search

How does the Keyword search box work?
What fields does the Keyword search box search?
How many ways can I search using the Detailed Search?
How does the Topics and Subtopics search work?
Can I select multiple items from different lists within the Topics and Subtopics section?
What do the different parts of the Type of Information section cover?
Can I select multiple items from different lists within the Information Types section?
How do I combine a Topic or Information Type search with a Keyword search?
What if I don't put any terms in the Keyword search box?
What if I don't select anything from Topics and subtopics or Information Types?
What if I can't find the Topic or Information Type I want in the checkboxes or drop-down lists?
What if I get zero or too few results?
What if I get too many results?
Can I use the back button to change my search strategy?

How does the Keyword search box work?

Type one or more words in the Keyword search box, then use the drop-down menu to choose how you want to have your words matched:

All of these words: narrows a search to give results where all your words are found within one resource. This is the most common way of searching.

Any of these words: broadens a search by including results with these words in the same or different resources. This search is useful when you don't know the wording that might be used in a resource and want to try several words that mean the same thing.

This exact phrase: narrows your search to give results in which your words appear exactly in the order that you typed them. This search is most useful when you are sure that this phrase will appear within the resources you want.

Search Tips:

• The database searches word by word (instead of letter by letter) for more precision. It also automatically truncates (shortens) your search by one letter or punctuation mark. This means that typing in 'Heart disease' will give results for both 'Heart disease' and 'Heart diseases'.
• You can also use an asterisk (*) to shorten a word further, so that 'wom*' will return results for 'Woman', 'Women', and 'Womb'.
• Note: because results can vary according to whether a punctuation mark follows your word in the text, it is always safest to use an asterisk at the end of your word or phrase, e.g. 'Heart disease*'.

What fields does the Keyword search box search?

The Keyword search box searches the Title, Author, Organization, Description, Editor’s Note and Related Resources fields.

How many ways can I search using the Detailed Search?

You can search in a number of ways. You may:

• Click on checkboxes to search by Topics and Subtopics
• Select from drop-down menus to search by Information Types
• Type in Keywords to narrow your search further
• You can use these options in any combination.

How does the Topics and Subtopics search work?

This search is designed to allow you to select a search topic or subtopic without knowing what exact words might be used in the resource descriptions. It also gathers similar topics together and selects only those resources in which a substantial part covers the topic, not just where the word is mentioned somewhere in the resource description. Within each topic, 'All' covers all the subtopics listed and 'Other' covers other subtopics that we have not specified. For example, ticking 'Other' within Diseases and Conditions would give you other diseases that are not listed in the checkboxes. We use 'Other' for emerging topics and topics for which we don't have a lot of listings or that are not a major collection focus.

Can I select multiple items from different lists within the Topics and Subtopics section?

Yes. This will broaden your search and return results that contain ANY of your criteria.

What do the different parts of the Type of Information section cover?

• Resource Type = the format of the resource (example: Web resource)
• Purpose = the purpose or intended audience of the resource (example: Practitioner information)
• Information Source = the type of originator of the resource (examples: Government; Individual experience)
• Geographic Origin = where the resource originated (example: Canada)
• Language of Resource = the languages the resource is written in (example: French)
• Groups = the primary age-related, ethnocultural or ability groups of women to which the resource is targeted or directed (examples: Francophone women; Aboriginal women).

Search Tips:

• If you are getting too few results using these drop-down lists, omit some of them by leaving them set to 'All’.
• If you want to be inclusive and not specific - especially with Groups - use the Keyword search instead. For example, typing 'aboriginal' in the Keyword search box will return all resources in which that word is used in our description, even if the resource is not targeted specifically to aboriginal women and even if it is only a small part of the resource.
• Note the differences between Language of Resource and Groups. A resource can be written in French (Language) but not necessarily targeted towards Francophone women (Groups). The reverse can also be true.

Can I select multiple items from different lists within the Information Types section?

If you want to search an Information Type, you can select as many as you like. This will narrow your search, because only results that contain ALL your criteria would be returned. If you don't select anything, the search engine will ignore that part.

Example: you want to find a Canadian book written for consumers by a community-based organization. Select:

• Resource Type - Book
• Purpose - Consumer information/Support
• Information Source - Community-based organization
• Geographic Origin - Canada

Example: you want to find all the articles about older women that womenshealthmatters.ca has written. Select:

• Resource Type – WHM Resource
• Groups – Older Women

How do I combine a Topic or Information Type search with a Keyword search?

You can combine searches by ticking off items in these sections and typing appropriate words in the Keyword search box. If you are familiar with Boolean logic, the database defines the search as: OR within Topics and subtopics; AND within Information Type; and AND between all three sections.

Combinations include:

• Topic + Keyword search = results that only satisfy criteria from both sections
• Information Types + Keyword search = results that only satisfy criteria from both ALL the selections you make from the Drop-down lists within Information Types and the Keyword search box
• Topics + Information Types + Keyword search = results that only satisfy criteria from all 3 sections
• Topics + Information Types = results that only satisfy criteria from both sections

Search Tips:

• Combine Topics and Keyword search if you are looking for an aspect of a topic. For example, if you want alternative ways to deal with heart disease, you could type 'heart coronary cardiovascular' in the keyword box, select 'Any of these words' from the Drop-down menu for the search method, and tick 'Complementary and Alternative Approaches' in the Topics box. You could even add 'Book' in Resource Type if you only want books on the subject.
• Combine Information Types and Keyword search to narrow your search for a particular type of information. For example, if you want all the articles womenshealthmatters.ca has written covering the annual Women’s Health Matters Forum & Expo, select WHM Resource from Resource Type and type ‘forum expo’ in the Keyword search box, leaving the default search method as ‘All of these words.’

What if I don't put any terms in the Keyword search box?

The database search engine will simply ignore this box and search by anything you have selected in the Topics and Information Types sections.

What if I don't select anything from Topics and subtopics or Information Types?

Leaving a category blank instructs the database search engine not to narrow down the search by those criteria. In other words, if you leave categories blank you will get the most search results.

What if I can't find the Topic or Information Type I want in the checkboxes or drop-down lists?

You may be looking in the Topics and subtopics checkboxes for something we have placed in the Information Types section, particularly in the Groups section. For example, ‘Lesbians/Bisexuals/Trans’ is in the Groups section, where it refers to the group of women the resource is targeted to. But ‘Sexual orientation’ is in the Topics and Subtopics section. Note that resources on breast cancer in women who are lesbians/bisexuals/trans would be found by clicking this item in the Groups section and ‘Breast cancer’ in the subtopics.

What if I get zero or too few results?

• Make sure you have spelled your search terms correctly. We use Canadian spelling
• Try putting in fewer words
• Try more general words
• Choose the 'Any of these words' option from the drop-down menu
• Try using an asterisk (*) to allow for variants of a word.
• Perhaps there are no matches. Check again another time. The database is always growing.

What if I get too many results?

• Be more specific or use more words to define your search
• Use the 'All of these words' or 'This exact phrase' option
• Use the Detailed Search to specify more criteria for your search such as the type of resource, geographic origin, target group, intended audience, and so on

Can I use the back button to change my search strategy?

No. You can change your search in two ways: either click on Detailed Search again, or use the back button to return to the Detailed search page, then click on ‘Start Over’ even if you will be using the same keywords but changing a selection in the drop-down lists or checkboxes.

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