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Power Search

The "Power search" interface in TGIF/Web provides an 'advanced search' alternative for TGIF users. It is intended for use by more experienced online searchers. In it, you can use full Boolean and proximity operators, wildcards, nesting, field limiters,etc.

I. Common Search Fields in "Power" TGIF
Specifying a search field restricts the search to that particular data element(s) only. Once you have made a field specification on your search line, it is "in force" (i.e. the default) until you use another field specification. The "starting" default is [none] below, so you do not have to specify a field to start. To reset back to [none] in the middle of the search use "BI=xxxx."

[none] Keyword, title, abstract, note, special limiter, etc. word: eg.: FERTIGATION [same thing as: BI=FERTIGATION (This is the default search!)]
R=TGIF Record number: eg.: R=1475
T=Title word: eg.: T=PYTHIUM
TIF=Exact title match (as a string) eg.:: TIF=TAKING SPIKELESS SHOES PUBLIC
K=Assigned Keyword from the Turfgrass Thesaurus (as a string): eg.: K=POA ANNUA
TK=Title or assigned Keyword word eg.:: TK=SPIKING
SUB=Title, assigned keyword or abstract word eg.:: SUB=CALLUS [SUB=(CALLUS OR CALLI) would be even better]

AB=Abstract word eg.:: AB=DIMENSION
LEVEL=Level of source (refereed, report, proceedings, professional, trade, popular, or newsletter) (more information on LEVEL) eg.:: LEVEL=TRADE
A=Authors, editors, etc. eg.:: A=KARNOK [best to search as A=KARNOK, K*]
AF=Author affiliation word eg.:: AF=RUTGERS
AUF= Author (field)

AUF= Piper, C.V.

BORA=Author or person-as-a-subject (i.e. for materials 'by or about' a person)

BORA=HAMILTON [best to search as bora=HAMILTON,G*]

NOTES=Note word (see list) eg.:

NOTES=PICTURE*
GMD=General Material Descriptor(see list) eg.:: GMD=THESIS
SCODE=Journal code (see list) eg.:: SCODE=AGRON
JO=Exact Journal name eg.:: JO=FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST
SO=Source (journal, book, website, etc.) word eg.:: SO=TRENDS
MEET=Meeting or Conference word eg.:: CO=ORLANDO
FAC=Facility name word eg.:: FAC=MEDINAH
FACF=Facility name field

FACF=Almosta Golf Club | L Middlebury Wisconsin

CV=Cultivar name eg.:: CV=PENNCROSS
CVF=Cultivar name as indentifier: CVF= Hounddog V

BUS=Business name word eg.:

BUS=JACKLIN
BUSF= Business name field: BUSF=Oliphant Golf Construction Madison, Wisconsin

WHO=Person as a subject eg.:: WHO=NOER
WHOF=Person's name as indentifer (field): WHOF=Piper, Charles VanCouver [but better to search as WHOF=Piper, C*]

PUB=Publisher or place of publication word eg.:: PUB=ARBOR
YEAR=Year of publication eg.:: YEAR=1991
YEAR=1994:2000
DATE=Date of publication eg.:: DATE=JANUARY [but better to search as DATE=JAN*]
VOL=Volume number eg.:: VOL=47
USGAP=USGA Publication eg.:: USGAP=X

ALL=all searchable fields (Use with caution! this can produce strange results!)

        ALL=sod

TEXT=Full-text

        TEXT= Green AND Section

SER=Article series title (word)

       SER=Chauncey

SERF=Article series title (field)

        SERF=Dear Chauncey - Part II

COL=Title of regular column in serial publication (word)

       COL=Soylet and Green

COLF=Tile of regular column in serial publication (field)

COLF=Soylent Green

MONO=Monographic title (field)

MONO=Weeds of the Northeast

STI=Monographic series title (word)

      STI=Weeds and Sunshine

STIF=Monographic series title (field)

     STIF=Weeds in the sunshine

GEOW=Geographic term (state, region, country) as indentifer (word)

     GEOW=Dakota

GEO=Geographic term (field)

GEO=North Dakota

LANG=Language

LANG=Serbo-Croat

S=, K=, DE= Descriptors (field)

S=Achyranthes Repens

DEW=Descriptors (word)

DEW=Achyranthes and Repens

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II. Operators Available in TGIF
"Operators"(Boolean operators) are used to combine, cross, or define the desired relationship between logical clusters.

X AND Y: Find records that contain both X AND Y; eg.: TOPDRESSING AND SAND
X ADJ Y: Find records where these two terms occur adjacent to each other, in the specified order; eg.: BOWLING ADJ GREEN*
X OR Y: Find records that are in either X OR in Y; eg.: BERMUDA* OR CYNODON
X NOT Y: Leave out (of X) those things also in Y; eg.: BLUEGRASS NOT BILLBUG
X:Y: Take everything between X and Y (inclusive); eg.: YEAR=1998:2000

X W/ Y Find all records where these terms occur adjacent to each other, in either order
X W/n Y Find all records where these terms occur within 'n' words, in either order
X NEAR Y Find all records where these terms occur within 5 words, in either order
X W/O Y Find all records where these terms occur within the same occurrence
X W/S Y Find all records where these terms occur within the same sentence or subfield
X W/P Y Find all records where these terms occur within the same paragraph

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III. Wildcards (Truncation)

* Multiple character, right hand: eg.: RHIZOM*
? Single character, repeatable, right hand or internal
eg.: FERTILI?ER

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IV. Structuring Searches (Nesting)
Up to 10 levels of parentheses may be used to structure logical clusters in compound, complex searches.
: example 1: ((SALT* OR SALIN* OR NACL) AND (LEVEL=(REPORT OR REFEREED) OR GMD=(THESIS OR DISSERTATION)) AND YEAR=1994:1997) NOT SOLUTION

example 2: (((FAN OR FANS) AND AIR) OR (AIR ADJ (MOVE* OR FLOW))) NOT (FAN W/2(FLAT OR NOZZLE OR JET))
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V. Null Values Searches
To search the absence of data in a field, Search: xx=""

NOT; AND; OR
(We suggest you use parentheses anyway to specify the intended sequence of execution...)

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VIII. Display Formats
In TGIF/Web (all interfaces; not just "classic" TGIF) it is possible to change the display format of searched records. Once a search has been executed and the first record displayed in the default "Brief Table" format, users may change the display format of the executed search by selecting a different format from the "Display Format" drop-down box at the top of the screen. Available formats are:

Brief Table

Short

Full

Citation

Endnote
Algorithm Display - Used to see the search algorithm displayed before search results.

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IX. Searching "Known" Items in TGIF
These searches are used to determine whether a specific item (=citation =article =record ect.) is already listed in TGIF or not. This type of searching can be used for:

"list checks" - To see if items on a list of bibliographic citations are in TGIF or not.
"fastlinks" - To determine a TGIF record number for an item in order to directly link to it. (Use the "fastlink generator " at http://tic.msu.edu/flink.htm to do this once you have a TGIF record number for an item.)

There are many ways to search for an item in the TGIF database. Even if an item isn't found in at least two different title searches, try the author search and at least one other search to make certain the article has not already been processed.

Notes:

Searches described below must be conducted in the "Power Search" TGIF interface.

You can connect the various searches using the boolean operator AND.

You can truncate using the asterisk (*). Example: DATE=NOV*. (This will find all NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, and NOVEMBER-whatever combinations. It is best to truncate as much as possible to increase the likelihood of finding the record.

You can use ADJ to link two words, for example: TRANSITION* ADJ ZONE* will find the words "transition zone" in the field(s) you are searching, adjacent to each other.

Using truncation (*)is often the key to finding articles.

To Search for a Specific "Known Item" in TGIF

Title: Pick the oddest words in the title to search. For example, in The effect of construction profile and materials on the performance of greyhound tracks, type T=profile* and greyhound*. Then, display the records found and compare them to the citation. If you get a 0, try another combination of words (and exclude subtitle words.)

Author: Search the title and author together like this: AUS=JOHNSON AND T=IMPACT*. For two or more authors, you can link them using AND. For example, AUS=(JOHNSON AND DUNCAN).

Year: This is also handy to use in conjunction with another search term. For example: YEAR=2001 AND T=IMPACT*

Date: Example: DATE=NOV* (always truncate DATE searching to an abbreviated form to find all variations and misspellings).

Special Identifiers: (SCODES, MCODES, WCODES) can be used to limit the search to a specific serial, book, or website. Here are some examples: SCODE=GCMAN, for Golf Course Management, MCODE=TARZT and WCODE=WISCO. SCODES search for serials, MCODES search for monographs, and WCODES search for websites. A list of commonly used SCODES can be found here.

Reprints: Since the turfgrass literature is heavily reprinted, particularly within the trade and newsletter publications, watch out for reprints. We try and cite the original source of publication for a work, but do not always have access to the original in order to do so.
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