HELP INDEX

• What is an AMS Journal Search?
• Constructing the search
• Entering search criteria
• Available search fields
• Changing search field names
• Boolean search operators
• Searching for TeX code
• Setting documents per page
• Returning to journals search

What is an AMS Journal Search?

A Journal Search allows searching across AMS and AMS Distributed journals, or a subset of journals, using one or more criteria. Boolean search operators (And, Or, Not) can be used to combine or exclude search terms. The result of this journals search is a list of articles matching the search criteria. Abstracts and full articles can be retrieved from the search list.

The Advanced Journal Search screen consists of :

• Field Names with pull down menus to change the selection of fields
• Search boxes to enter search criteria
• The option to select which journals to include in the search
• Publication date limiting
• Standard or Condensed results display format choices
• The option to set number of results viewed on the search results page
• Options to set sort order
• Start Search and Clear Screen buttons

Return to top

Constructing a Journal Search

Specify MSC, Title words, Authors
In this section, choose a search field from the dropdown menu Enter search criteria into one or more of the search boxes. One Boolean operator may be used in each search box Use the Boolean dropdown list between fields to construct more complex queries
Specify Journals to Search
Use this section to select specific journals to search. By default, users will search on all AMS and AMS Distributed journals. Select the "what is included?" link for a listing of journals to search.
Limit Results by Publication Date
This section of the search screen allows you to limit your search by the article's month and year of publication.
Format Results
Here you have the opportunity to control the way your search results are displayed. Use the bibliographic display section to show either a condensed or standard set of bibliographic information View from 10 to 50 results on the headlines page Select the sort order that works best for you

Default values on the search screen: 

• Search fields: The "Specify MSC, Title words, Authors" section of the search screen are initially set to values derived from analysis of user search trends over the past two years. These values can be set to any of 8 different search fields.
• Selected journals: The default is a search across all AMS and AMS Distributed journals. 
  • Users can accept this value or select from the other options in this section. This region includes the ability to search on a specific journal.
• Search results format: Users will, by default, see results presented in The Standard Results Format
  • This format provides a larger set of bibliographic information that allows users to more fully view article information before moving to the abstract or article.
  • Viewers may elect to view the results set in Condensed Results Format
    • This provides a smaller set of information that allows users to quickly peruse a search result.
  • See http://www.ams.org/journals/searchResultsFormats.html for more detail.
• Results per page: Results will be returned in sets of thirty or less titles per screen.
  • Users have the ability to set the results set to display from 10 through 50 results.
• Navigation of search results: To move to the next screen of results, use the navigation icons at the top and bottom of the page: 
  

Return to top

Entering Search Criteria

• Enter search criteria in the appropriate blank box beside the field name.
• The wildcard character is the asterisk (*).
• Adjacency of search criteria is assumed within a field only when text is included within quotations. For instance, "Vector Bundles" will return the term vector bundles while Vector Bundles (sans quotes) will broaden the search to provide Vector OR Bundles.
• Boolean search operators (Or, And, Not) can be entered and changed within a field, or between fields, with the pull down menus.
  • Only one Boolean operator can be used within a search field.
  • The default Boolean search operator between fields is AND.
• Journal searching is not case-sensitive.

Return to top

Available Search Fields

There are four Field Name boxes on the search screen and a total of eight fields that can be searched. The Anywhere field can be used to conduct a search of all fields simultaneously. Search will retrieve whatever field is displayed in the Field Name box when the search is executed. The Field Name boxes can be changed to one of the fields not displayed by holding down the mouse and selecting a field from the pull down menu.

List of Available Search Fields:

Field Name	What it searches
Author	Article author's name, Author of a book review, Author or Editor of a book being reviewed
Article Title	Title of article
MSC	Primary or secondary Mathematics Subject Classification
Keyword	Keywords provided by the article's author
Abstract Text	Any text in the body of the abstract
Article Text	Any text in the body of the article, excluding the abstract and references
References	Any text that appears in the article's bibliography
Anywhere	Any field listed in this set of variables
Red text indicates default field

See AMS Journals Field Help for assistance with valid entries.

Return to top

Changing Search Field Names

To change a field name:

• Move the cursor to the field name box. Click and hold the mouse button. Scroll to a field name and release.
• More than one field name box can be set to the same field name.

Return to top

Boolean Search Operators

Boolean operators used in Journals Search are:

• AND 
• OR 
• NOT

Used within a field box: One Boolean search operator can be entered within a field box. To use a Boolean search operator within a box, type the operator between the criteria. Use Boolean operators between fields to construct more complex searches.

Example: In the Author field: Faermann and Sauter will retrieve papers authored jointly by Dahmen and Faermann.

Used between field boxes:  From the pull down menus between field boxes, select the appropriate operator.

Examples: 1) Two field boxes can be set to Author with the Boolean search operator between them set to and (the default) from the pull down menu.
2) Another example is a search in the title field and abstract text field for the same term:

Title: "number theory"

OR

Abstract Text: "number theory"

This search will retrieve items with the phrase "number theory" in either the title Or the abstract text of the citation.

Return to top

Searching for Mathematics (TeX)

The journal search criteria may include TeX coding for accented characters. TeX coding should be included in names and mathematical symbols where appropriate.

Return to top

Setting Documents Per Page

AMS Journal searches are set to display 50 titles per page. The next (or previous) set of 50 titles can be displayed using the navigation icons (see the Default values section of this document).

The number of article titles displayed at one time can be reset by the user. This is done from the AMS Journals Search screen on the "Documents per page" option. A dark circle indicates the current setting. To change the setting, click in the circle next to the new number.

Options include:

10 titles per page

20 titles per page

30 titles per page — default for standard result format

40 titles per page

50 titles per page — default for condensed result format

Options can be set for each search. The maximum number of results returned for any search is 50

Return to top

Returning to AMS Journal Search

To return to the Journal Search screen and retain the criteria entered, use the browser's Back button. The Back button will page back one screen at a time.