Write one or more search terms in the input field and start the search by clicking on the search icon.

• Two or more search terms in the entry field will be joined by the operator AND.
• Capitalization and small letters are irrelevant.
• You can abbreviate a search term with an asterisk (*) or replace single characters by question mark (?) (so-called truncation).
  Examples: Piano* / Stra?insky

You can limit your search - if offered - by further criteria, which are linked by AND.

As a logged in user you may permanently save some settings for search and display in the Search preferences.

Click Search to run the search and get the Results.

Click Clear to wipe all entry fields.

You may limit your search using additional search restrictions if offered.

Your search query is created based on a modular design principle, i.e. with the help of the following elements your final search term is put together. Touchpoint uses this term to search the selected databases:

• Capitalization and small letters are irrelevant.
• You can truncate a search term with an asterisk (*) or replace or single characters by question mark (?) (so called truncation).
  Examples: Piano* / Stra?insky

You can add additional search limitations - if offered - to your search query which will be joined by the operator AND.

As a logged-in user you can permanently save some settings for search and display in the Search preferences.

Once you clicked Search all matches will be displayed in the Results sorted by database.

Click Clear to wipe all input fields.

Result list

The result list contains the following information or functions, the actual display is dependent on your library's settings:

• Shows the search term exactly as Touchpoint built it from your input.
  Example: "Your search query: Title = Music AND Author = Dahlhaus".
• With the help of the navigation line you may move within portions of the result list; portions will be shown by pages. Inactive portions are underlined. Use the navigation icons ">>" and "<<" to hop forwards or backwards.
• Number of results within a specific database
• For each item the relevant title categories are displayed.
  All matches are numbered subsequently by Touchpoint showing the item type by an icon to give you more information about their characteristics (book, CD-ROM etc.).
• By selecting titles you can add them to My list.

If a search query could not be correctly processed by a database or if the database is currently not available, you will receive a corresponding message.

Full record

By clicking on the title of an item the Full record will be shown.

The navigation line already described above is available as well. You may browse all remaining matches in the full entry display without going back to the results each time.

The full entry offers additional information regarding the item you have chosen, e.g. publisher, ISBN, keywords etc.

Depending on the services offered by your library you may get additional information below the full record display:

• Holdings: will give you information about item number or footnotes, order status, class mark, branch.
• Get document: The availability check tells you if and how the title is available to you.
• more title information: displays the complete set of title categories.
• Reviews: displays reviews if available.

Lists

You can save titles selected from the Results to the lists.

You can manage multiple lists at any one time and name each list individually. For example, you can create lists relevant to your subject, modify or amend them.

An entry selected from the result list is always added to a temporary list unless you have pre-set a specific list name in your personal Search preferences or unless you create a new list name.

If you have saved items in the temporary list without first using the service Log on you can add or transfer them to an already existing list once logged on.

With the help of the navigation line you may move within portions of the list; they are denoted by page numbers. With the links all / none you may either select a title or reset your selection and afterwards you may carry out one of the actions detailed below. Select individual titles by clicking the checkbox left of a title.

Two different display formats are available: Brief records and Full records.

Select list

As not logged in user you can only select the temporary list.
As logged in user the following functions are available:

Output

The offered "output options" depend on your library's settings. The following functions might be available:

Combination of Search Terms 

Join the search categories given in the selection boxes of the Advanced Search with the logic operators AND, OR, AND NOT.
Usage of operators may have various consequences for the result list:

Truncation

Truncate your search terms to extend the search to all terms which

• start with a particular word or part of a word: right truncation.
  Example: Piano*
• end with a particular word or part of a word: left truncation.
  Example: *sonata
• start with a particular word or part of a word and end with another: inner truncation.
  Example: Saxo*one

Mainly, it is used to provide for different spelling and variations of terms, e.g. singular and, or plural forms.

Touchpoint uses the following wildcards: