To enter a query, just type in a few descriptive words and hit the 'go' button for a list of relevant results. Since ScienCentral only returns results that contain all the words in your query, refining or narrowing your search is as simple as adding more words to the search terms you have already entered. Your new query will return a smaller subset of the pages ScienCentral found for your original "too-broad" query.

Choosing Keywords

For best results, it's important to choose your keywords wisely. Keep these tips in mind:

* Try the obvious first. If you're looking for information on Einstein, enter "Einstein" rather than "scientists".

* Use words likely to appear on a site with the information you want. "Space Shuttle Atlantis" gets better results than "vehicles made for space travel."

* Make keywords as specific as possible. "West Nile Virus" gets more relevant results than "mosquito born diseases".

Automatic "and" Queries

By default, ScienCentral only returns results that include all of your search terms. There is no need to include "and" between terms. Keep in mind that the order in which the terms are typed will affect the search results. To restrict a search further, just include more terms.

Search Automatic Exclusion of Common Words

Search ignores common words and characters such as "where" and "how", as well as certain single digits and single letters, because they tend to slow down your search without improving the results. Search will indicate if a common word has been excluded by displaying details on the results page below the search box.

If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can include it by putting a "+" sign in front of it. (Be sure to include a space before the "+" sign.)

Another method for doing this is conducting a phrase search, which simply means putting quotation marks around two or more words. Common words in a phrase search (e.g., "where are you") are included in the search.

Capitalization

ScienCentral searches are NOT case sensitive. All letters, regardless of how you type them, will be understood as lower case. For example, searches for "dna sequencing", "DNA Sequencing", and "dNa sEquEncINg" will all return the same results.

Word Variations (Stemming)

To provide the most accurate results, ScienCentral does not use "stemming" or support "wildcard" searches. In other words, ScienCentral searches for exactly the words that you enter in the search box. Searching for "ScienCen" or "ScienCen*" will not yield "ScienCentral". If in doubt, try both forms: "airline" and "airlines," for instance.