Spaces

A space is used to separate words or operators in a search query.

In a simple query where operators are not used, spaces between words are treated as an implied “and” so that the search results will contain documents containing all of the words that have been entered.

Note: In certain cases, the search engine will automatically assume that two terms separated by a single space should be treated as a single phrase to increase the accuracy of results. This primarily occurs with proper names.

For complex queries using operators, the following should be noted:

• When Boolean operators are used, spaces between words are treated as an implied “and” until another operator is used in the query.

• When the “-“ and “+” operators are used, a space should not be placed between the operator and the word entered. The “-“ and “+” operators only apply to the word directly attached to the operator.

• When field operators are used, a space should not be placed between the operator and the word or phrase being searched. It is recommended that parentheses be used with field operators. For example, title:(legislation environment).

• When proximity operators are used, the operator only applies to the word, or phrase in quotes, immediately before and after the operator. It is recommended that parentheses be used around the proximity expression when creating complex queries.

Procedure

The procedure for designing and executing a search query with spaces is as follows:

Step 1. Decide what words you want to search for in your query.

Step 2. Add a space between words to tell the search engine to return documents if they contain one or more keywords.

Step 3. Click on the Search button to execute your search and return a Search Results page.

Example

To search for only those documents that contain both the words Bill and Clinton, you can enter Bill Clinton into the Search Box and click the Search button.

The search engine will look for both words in the document and return those documents where both words can be found anywhere in the document.

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