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Using the advanced search functions in the table to the left, you can focus your search at Discover France to individual keywords, phrases, document dates, and several other parameters. You can also customize the quantity and format of your search results. Here are some useful search tips:
Check spelling
Make sure your search terms are spelled correctly.
Use multiple words
Use multiple words when performing your search. The search results will return more refined results from several words than from a single word. For example, typing Milton Friedman will return more relevant results than typing only Milton. (Keep in mind, relevant results are returned even if they don't contain all query terms.)
Use similar words
The more similar words you use in a search, the more relevant results you will get back.
Use appropriate capitalization
Capitalize proper nouns. Lowercase words will match any case. For example, typing hoover will return all documents containing the words hoover, Hoover, and HOOVER. However, typing Hoover will only search for pages about Hoover.
Use quotation marks
Use quotation marks to find words which must appear adjacent to each other, for example, "Herbert Hoover Memorial Building." Otherwise, the search results will include the word Herbert, Hoover, Memorial, and the word Building, but not necessarily in that order. The words may appear anywhere, and in any order, within the document.
Use plus (+) or minus (-)
Use a plus sign when your search term or phrase must appear in the search results. Use a minus sign to indicate undesirable term(s). The plus sign tells the search engine that a certain word or phrase is required in the search results, and a minus sign indicates that a word or phrase must be absent in the search results.
Note: A phrase must be contained within quotation marks. Leave no spaces between the plus or minus sign and the term.
Use field searches
Field searches allow you to create specific searches for words that appear in a specific part of a document. A field search can be performed on body text (body:), title text (title:), alt text (alt:), meta description (desc:), meta key words (keys:) or URL (url:). The field name should be in lowercase and immediately followed by a colon. There should be no spaces between the colon and the search term.
Note: The field searches can only be followed by a word or phrase. Phrases must be contained within quotation marks.
Use wildcards
Wildcard searches can expand the number of matches
for a particular request. The * character is used as the wildcard character.
For instance, searching for wh* will find the words what, why, when, whether, and any other word that starts with wh. Searching for *her* will find the words here, whether, together, gathering, and any other word that contains her anywhere in the word.
Wildcards may be combined with the standard plus (+) and minus (-) modifiers, quotes for phrases, as well as the field search specifiers.
+wh* -se*ch will find all pages which have a word starting with wh and which do not contain any word starting with se and ending with ch.
"wh* are" will find the phrases where are, what are, why are, etc.
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