This help page refers mainly to the ANU Web search, but the Handbook, Admin Areas and Mail Archives searches all work the same way.

The ANU Web search looks for your word/phrase inside web pages hosted on a selection of ANU Web servers.

Because this is a large search domain with hundreds of servers it can be useful to target your queries using the query types outlined below.

Simple Query	Multiple Word Query
Phrase Query	Multiple Word Query containing negation
Accessing Data from a specific server	Featured Pages
Searching MetaData	More Information

More control over aspects of your search can be gained by using the Advanced Search facility. This facility may also be selected by clicking on the "Advanced" button on the menu bar which you see when a simple query returns data.

Simple Query    A simple query is one where you enter a single word into the search field, like enrolment. The search will find all the ANU Web pages which contain the word 'enrolment'.

Multiple word query    If you enter more than one word into the search box, like student accommodation, the search will find all web pages which contain both the words 'student' and 'accommodation'.

Phrase Query    You can also search for a phrase by using double quotes. For example, you can type "employment conditions". This will find all Web pages containing the text 'employment conditions', but won't find any pages which contain the text 'conditions of employment'.

Multiple word query containing a negation    If you want to search for all the entries containing the word 'Dublin' but not 'Core', then enter the words dublin !core and you will find all appropriate pages.

Accessing data from a specific server:    Enter u:studyat hindi to find any documents containing the word 'hindi' on the 'studyat' machine.

Featured Pages    These pages are returned at the top of the page. They have been specially included so that the most likely answer in certain cases will be returned at the top of the list. Try chemisty and links to the Department of Chemistry and Research School of Chemistry will appear in the first list under the search box.

Searching MetaData   If meta data has been inserted inside document headers in the form

<META NAME="Author" CONTENTS="Mary Smith">

or

<META NAME="DC.Creator" CONTENTS="Mary Smith">

Then this will be indexed so that a search

a:Smith

will find this document.

More detailed information about metadata and the ANU Metadata Standards is available.

More detailed help information is available about the P@NOPTIC Search facility.

Other Search Options

Return to Search Page