At its simplest, a query can be just a word or a phrase. But with the tips on this page, you can expand the focus of your query to give you more complete results. These tips will get you started with basic query language and acquaint you with the full power of Microsoft Index Server.

• Search with the keyword NEAR, rather than AND, for words close to each other. For example, both of these queries, system and manager and system near manager, look for the words system and manager on the same page. But with NEAR, the returned pages are ranked in order of proximity: The closer together the words are, the higher the rank of that page.

• Refine your queries with the AND NOT keywords to exclude certain text from your search. For example, if you want to find all instances of surfing but not the Net, write the following query:

  surfing AND NOT the Net

• Add the OR keyword to find all instances of either one word or another, for example:

  Abbott OR Costello

  This query finds all pages that mention Abbott or Costello or both.

• Look for words with the same prefix. For example, in your query form type key* to find key, keying, keyhole, keyboard, and so on.

• Search for all forms of a word. For example, in the form type sink** to find sink, sinking, sank, and sunk.

• Put quotation marks around keywords if you want Index Server to take them literally. For instance, if you type the following query:
  
  "system near manager"

  Index Server will literally look for the complete phrase system near manager. But if you type the same query without the quotation marks:
  
  system near manager

  Index Server searches all documents for the words system and manager.

• Characters can be used instead of the search keywords:

Word	Character
near	~
and	&
or	|
not	!

Free-Text Queries
Use Free-Text Queries if you want to enter queries using natural language. Index Server will examine your query, extract nouns and noun phrases and construct a query for you. With free-text queries you can enter any text you want, from a proper question, to a string of words and phrases, without worrying about the query language. For example, if you type in the following query:

"When is summary judgment appropriate in medical malpractice?"

Index Server will create a query for you automatically and begin the search. Note that when you're using free-text queries, the regular query language features are disabled and keywords such as AND, OR, and NEAR are interpreted as normal words.

Scope
Use Scope to search only part of the Supreme Court Website. Click to limit your search to Opinions, Lawyers Directory, Rules, Calendar, News, Notices, Joint Procedure Committee, Other Committees, Districts, Counties (and county officials), or Judges.

Title
Use Title to search for an opinion based on the case name. This searches the short title of the case. The regular query language features can be used to search Title. Title can also be use to specify the year the opinion was issued. For instance, if you type the following query:

Smith

Index Server will return opinions with Smith in the Title. But if you type:

Smith and 1999

Index Server will return opinions with Smith in the Title which were issue in 1999.

Citation
Citation will return an opinion based on its ND or NW2d citation. If both citations are entered, the opinion is returned based on the ND citation.

Topic
Use Topic to search only opinions in a particular topic category (based on the Supreme Court docket). Click here to see a list of the topics. Only opinions for the specified topic are returned. For multi-word topics, not all words need be entered. For example, entering "Divorce" will include all the divorce topics, while entering "Alimony" will include only the "Divorce/Property Div./Alimony" topic. Or entering "Dui or Transportation" will return opinions in either the "Dui/Dus" or "Transportation Dept." topics.

Author
Use Author to search only opinions authored by a particular Justice. Click to select the Justice. This returns opinions based on the author of the "opinion of the court," not dissents or other separate opinions.

Query Language

These hints will get you started, but for more complex queries and more examples, see the Query Language page.

© 1997 by Microsoft Corporation for some of this material.