Basic Search Types

There are different ways of searching the catalogue. The table below provides a summary but for more detailed information on each option see the Help with Basic Search page.

Search Option	Use when...	Example
Title	You know the exact name of the item you're looking for	women and the first world war
Author	You know the name of the author or editor You want to see what material the library holds for a person or organisation	pratchett terry royal scottish geographical society
Keyword (search engine style)	You are searching for material on a topic, for example an essay question You don't know the exact title/author details for an item	role modern women japan darwin origin species
Keyword (use and, or, not)	You want to build a more precise or complex topic search	(indigenous or aboriginal) and culture and touris?