Tips

1. Search fields

In Advanced Search you will find several fields where you can enter your search terms. In each of them you may write keywords and use search operators.

Each field includes a menu from which you can choose the type of data you wish to search (for example, title, author, etc.). You may combine different field types to refine your search according to your needs.

The parameter “Match” defines the relationship between all the fields you are using:

  • Match ALL terms: returns results that meet all criteria (equivalent to AND).
  • Match ANY term: returns results that match at least one criterion (equivalent to OR).
  • Match NONE of the terms: excludes results containing any of the specified terms (equivalent to NOT).

If you need to add more criteria, use the “Add search fields” button as many times as required.

2. Search groups

For more complex searches, a single set of fields may be insufficient. In such cases you can use Search Groups, which allow you to create multiple sets of fields and define the relationship between them.

For example, if you want to find documents about the history of Candelario or Béjar:

  • If you use ALL terms with “Candelario Béjar Historia”, you will only retrieve results that discuss both municipalities and history at the same time.
  • If you use ANY term, you will retrieve results about history, Candelario or Béjar, without guaranteeing a relationship between them.

Search Groups allow you to solve this:

  1. In the first group, enter “Candelario” and “Béjar” and select ANY term.
  2. Create a second group and write “historia”.
  3. Configure the relationship between groups using ALL terms.

You may delete any group using the “Delete Search Group” button.

3. Search operators

Wildcard search

  • ? replaces a single character. Example:
    Ca?ta → Canta, Carta, Casta
  • * replaces zero or more characters. Example:
    Casa* → Casa, Casas, Casasola

It can also be used in the middle of a word:
C*to → Cristo, Coto, Cierto

Fuzzy search

Fuzzy search helps retrieve results when there may be spelling mistakes, graphic variations or very similar word forms.

Add ~ at the end of a term to search for similar words. Example:
Ledesma~ → Ledesma, Ledisma, Redesma

You can adjust similarity with a value between 0 and 1:
Ledesma~0.8

Proximity search

Used to find words that appear close to each other. Example:
"carretera travesía"~5

Range search

To search intervals:

  • By letters: {A TO C} → terms beginning with A, B or C.
  • By dates: [1880 TO 1900] → documents created or published within that period.

Boosting a term

Use ^ to assign more weight to a term:
carretera travesía^5

Results where “travesía” appears will be more relevant.

4. Boolean operators

Boolean operators allow you to logically connect words or phrases. The following operators are supported:

AND

This is the default operator. The catalogue applies it automatically without typing it.

Example:
carretera travesía
or
carretera AND travesía

OR

Returns results containing either one word or the other.

Example:
carretera OR travesía

NOT

Excludes documents containing the second term.

Example:
carretera NOT travesía

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