SEARCH TIPS
General Points
- The database searches each dataset (Events and Documents) independently.
- Clicking on Find in the left-hand menu will take you to the search menu page for the dataset.
- Clicking on List will generate a full listing of all records in the dataset.
- Use the green help buttons on the search menu pages for further guidance on how to obtain the best results from your searches.
- Use the Keywords button in the All fields search option to orientate yourself to key areas covered by the database.
- A quick and easy way to search for most organisations is via their acronyms. Check out Acronyms for a list of the organisations covered by the FVDD and their acronyms.
- If you search on a specific phrase, please tick the Exact matches only check box and make sure each term in your search string is separated by only one space.
- All search boxes ignore capitalisation.
- All search functions ignore commonly occurring words such as 'the' or 'a', other than 'and', 'or' and 'not' which are automatically treated as Boolean operators (see below).
- When you have initiated a search, your search term(s) will be displayed in a search box at the top of your results page. If you wish, you can edit your search terms in that box and click the Search Again button to re-perform the search.
- If you enter no terms on a search menu page, the search function will default to the List option.
Boolean Searches
- Boolean operators can be used in all search boxes:
- If you combine words using or, each item in your search results will contain at least one of your search terms. This will
increase your search results. Examples:
LFMC or LVA
Christie or Whitehead
- If you combine words using and, each item in your search results will contain all your search terms. This can reduce your
search results and focus your search more precisely. Examples:
LFMC and LVA
Christie and Whitehead
- To exclude words from your search, you can use not. Each item in your search results will contain only the first of the
search terms. This can reduce your search results. Examples:
Cinenova not Circles
Christie not Whitehead
- If you combine words using or, each item in your search results will contain at least one of your search terms. This will
increase your search results. Examples:
- All the Boolean operators have the same precedence, and they associate from left to right. This means, for example,
that the searches:
BFI and AC or Lux
BFI or AC and Lux
mean
(BFI and AC) or Lux
(BFI or AC) and Lux
rather than
BFI and (AC or Lux)
BFI or (AC and Lux)
- Sometimes that's not what you want. In that case, you can override the default
interpretation by parenthesising sub-expressions. Example:
(video and audiences) OR (video and exhibition)