WordlCat Discovery
Search WorldCat, the world’s most comprehensive library database.
WorldCat Discovery provides single search box access to our collections:
Facets and objective non-biased relevancy rankings retrieve the most relevant content from:
WorldCat:
About searching
Although the default search from the search box automatically applies the keyword index, it is easy to construct a more nuanced search using indexes and Boolean operators. An "index" is defined as two characters followed by a colon or by an equal sign (for example "ti:"). Use a colon to search for the words anywhere in the specified index and an equal sign to perform a phrase search.
In WorldCat Discovery, searches that contain index labels and Boolean operators can be entered in any search box including those on the Advanced Search screen. Please note that if you use an index for one search term in the box, you must use index labels for all search terms.
Frequently used indexes and syntax:
Boolean operators
WorldCat Discovery supports the use of (AND, OR, NOT). Boolean operators must be capitalized.
Index labels combined with Boolean operators can be entered in any search box in including the multiple search boxes on the Advanced Search screen. Boolean searches are processed in left to right order.
Approximate term queries
There are three operators for approximate term queries: asterisk(*), and question mark(?) or pound sign(#):
Truncation
Enter the first three characters of the term (at a minimum) and follow with an asterisk (*).
Example of terms in search results: securit-y, securit-ies, or securit-ization
Example of search: securit*
WildCard
Enter the first three characters of the term (at a minimum) and follow with a wildcard. WorldCat Discovery supports the use of two wildcard characters the pound sign (#) and the question mark (?).
Use the pound sign to represent a single character.
Use the question mark to match missing (zero) and up to nine characters including no additional characters.
Using filters on the left of the results screen
You can narrow the set of results that were returned from your initial search by using the filters available in the left column of the results screen. Simply check the boxes beside the filter(s) you desire.
| Section | Filters allow you to: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|
| Sort by: | Change the sort order of the results | Could include: Library and Relevance, Relevance Only, Date [Oldest First], Date [Newest First], Most Widely Held |
| Library: | Change the library/libraries searched | |
| Content: | Limit to Full Text or Peer Reviewed articles | The "Content" section is available only if your search results include articles |
| Format: | Limit to a particular format | |
| Databases: | Limit to results from a single database | |
| Author: | Select works by one or more authors | |
| Year: | Narrow the results to the last 5 years, choose a custom year range, or search a single year | To search a single year, you must type the year in both fields. For example: from 2015 to 2015 |
| Language: | Filter for results in a particular language |
To remove a filter and return to the previous results set, remove the filter(s) from the "Selected Filters" area or use your browser’s back button.
Source: OCLC WordCat