World History Network: Network Search

Search Tips

Types of Searches
The World History Network search tool supports three basic types of searches:

Resource Type - check boxes at the right of the search page
Topic - drop-down menus at the left of the search page
Keywords - memo field at the bottom of the search page

Less is more:
The rule of thumb for using the Network search engine is "less is more."

The fewer search terms entered, the more comprehensive the search will be.

Searching by Keyword:
The WHN's keyword search tool searches the Network database for: names of creators, titles, and descriptions of resources, as well as descriptive keywords entered by Network staff. Suggestions for using it are as follows:

DO NOT USE search terms common to other search engines, such as the words "and" or "or," quotation marks, or plus or minus signs.
Search terms may be either in the form of a word or a portion of a word (e.g."adv" for "advanced").
For best results, enter one search term at a time.
Avoid search terms consisting of multiple words
These will yield only listings containing the exact word order entered.
To narrow your search, choose variables listed under the "resource content" or "resource type" menus.

Searching by Resource Content:

Use pull-down menus to limit searches to choose topics, subtopics, regions, and time periods.
Less is more: Users who conduct searches with all pull-down menus in their default mode will result in the most comprehensive searches.

Searching by Resource Type:

Each Resource Type check box limits the search to that resource type.
Users who select "All Resource Types" will conduct unrestricted searches.
Less is more: activating none of the check boxes results in the most comprehensive search.