Technical FAQ's

1. What do the Find, Search and Browse options mean on this site?

We use the words Find and Search to try and distinguish between two different functions on the web site.

Start by finding out which directories we have published online. Select from 1 of our 3 Find by options.

You will then see a results list. You can open each individual directory that appears in the results list.

Once you have opened an individual directory you can conduct Searches within it.

Additionally, you can Browse through an open directory on an image-by-image basis or by jumping to an image number.

In our more advanced technical FAQ's below, we refer to “adjacency searching” and “advanced retrieval” methods. You can use these methods on the Find by keywords page and when searching within an individual directory.

2. How do I trace names?

You can use similar techniques to trace names on either the Find by keywords page or within an individual directory.

Supposing you were looking for a Walter Nash. Enter Walter Nash on the Find by Keywords page or in the search box within an individual directory.

It's worth bearing in mind that different directories may present names in different ways.

The above example limits you. It does not allow you to look for entries containing the same words in a different order, such as Nash Walter.

To overcome this, you need to ask for results where Nash appears within 2 words of Walter, in any direction. Enter the following command: Nash w/2 Walter

This command is known as the Within Operator. It is also a powerful way to locate both a name and a profession within a given context. Read more about it in advanced retrieval methods.

3. What are the advanced retrieval methods?

In the above answers we've explained some basic retrieval methods using the Find, Search and Browse options. We've also touched upon basic adjacency searching.

One of the most powerful advanced retrieval methods is the so-called Within Operator. If you use it you'll stand a better chance of locating words within close proximity of each other, such as a name and a profession.

THE WITHIN OPERATOR

Contextualise your searches using the Within Operator, as in the examples below:

• Nash Walter w/10 broker
• This command locates all records where Nash comes directly before Walter. It's an example of basic adjacency searching.
• The command also uses the Within Operator. It requests that the word broker falls within 10 words of Walter.
• Murray w/2 William w/12 clock w/5 maker
• This command enables you to search for a name that may have been recorded in one or more formats: William Murray or Murray, William, for example.
• You are asking the system to find Murray and William within two words of each other.
• Additionally William and clock must fall within 12 words of each other.
• Clock and maker must fall within 5 words of each other.

The within operator is represented as W/n. The n can be any integer from 1 to 16382. Omit the comma in integers over 1,000.

PRECEDING WORDS

This is similar to w/n, but enables you to specify preceding words. On the Find by Keywords page, for example, enter only:

• Reform Act p/100 Worthing
• This entry requires Reform to be adjacent to Act, in that order.
• It also specifies that Act must preced Worthing by 100 words or less.

FIELD SEARCHES

You might wish to try the following on the Find by Keywords page. Note the use of curly brackets { }.

• Look for a name contained within the short title of a directory, as displayed within the Results List.
• Example: in book_title {Manchester}
• Look for a date within the short title of a directory.
• Example: in book_title {1915}
• Recall a directory by its ID number. Note: you will find the ID in a directory's Fact File next to Key name, Location, Date and Decade.
• Example:in ID {LUL1001A}

WILDCARDS

Use to search for prefix, root and suffix and spelling variations. Wildcards may be more helpful when searching individual directories.

Question mark ? replaces a single character.

• b?rn retrieves born, barn and burn.
• sh??e retrieves shore, shire and shade.

Asterisk * replaces 0 or more characters.

• convict* retrieves conviction, convicted, convicts.
• *vert* retrieves covert and vertigo.

Ensure that your wildcards are related to the correct topic.

• The term auto* retrieves automobile, automotive and autobiography.
• To find out about automobiles only, a more specific statement would be:
• auto OR automo*

QUORUM SEARCHES

Example: 1 of {chemist, pharmacist, apothecary, druggist}

4. What does Fuzzy mean?

You will see the Fuzzy logic option in two places on this web site.

• a. on the Find by keywords page
• b. within individual directories

Fuzzy logic is an advanced retrieval feature. Select it if you wish to look for similar-sounding words, for example. If you were to submit the word commuter and select a Fuzzy option, you would also retrieve words such as computer.

This is useful for finding foreign names and alternative spellings. Fuzzy logic may help you overcome standard problems associated with Optical Character Recognition software. We use such software to convert scanned pages of text into electronic documents. In limited instances the software may not be able to read the exact letters comprising the original text.

An alternative approach to searching within a directory is our browse option. You may wish to try this before experimenting with Fuzzy logic.

Fuzzy is set in 'Off' mode by default.

Find out more about advanced retrieval methods including the use of wildcards.

5. What does Boolean mean, and how do I use it in my keywords?.

You may have come across the 3 basic Boolean operators already. They often allow you to combine keywords and include or exclude terms.

However, be careful how you use them on this web site. They generally locate terms that appear anywhere in the same directory.

AND

• This operator allows you to look for documents containing one word AND another word.
• Try entering Walter AND Nash, for example. The system will look for directories that contain both terms anywhere in the text. The terms might be far apart.
• If you are looking for terms immediately next to each other, adjacency searching provides much better results.
• A powerful extension of adjacency searching is the Within Operator. You can find out more about this in advanced retrieval methods.

OR

• The OR operator allows you to look for records containing one word OR the other.
• Enter Bailey OR Wentworth to find occurrences of one name OR the other.
• This only is a basic command, though. You are likely retrieve a large number of records if you apply it to multiple directories.

NOT, AND NOT

• The NOT operator will help you narrow down results in some cases on this web site.
• To find all directories on site with no mention of Northumberland, type NOT Northumberland on the Find by keywords page. You will get many results.
• To locate information associated with the word Newcastle, but not Newcastle in Northumberland, enter Newcastle AND NOT Northumberland.
• If you were looking across all directories, you would retrieve records for a Newcastle Street in Nottingham and Newcastle-under-Lyme, to give just two examples.
• To locate information relating to the surname, Hyde, as opposed to Hyde Park, use the following:
• Hyde AND NOT Hyde Park

6. Can I search within an individual directory?

Yes. This is a new feature on our site. Once you've opened a directory, you can search and browse within it. You can also zoom in and out of an image and print pages via your browser or in PDF format.

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7. Are the search engines case sensitive?

No. The search engines consider uppercase and lowercase words as the same.

We've simply used a mixture of cases for clarity in the examples above.

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