Basic Search | Advanced Search | Options | Tips for All Search Types (Basic, Advanced Section)
Basic Search
A search box appears on every page of the Safeyouth.gov site. This is a basic search that returns a list of results that contain a word, multiple words, or a phrase entered in the search box. Type the word, words, or phrase that describes what you're looking for in the search box and click the Search button. Your search returns a list of hyperlinked results sorted by relevancy (the likelihood that a result is what you're looking for); the most relevant results will appear first.
- Enter a single word Type a single word in the search box, for example health and click the Search button. Your search returns all the results that contain the word health.
- Enter multiple words Enter a collection of words in the search box, for example public health. Your search returns all the results that contain both the word public and the word health either together or separately, but in no specific order.
- Enter a phrase A phrase is also a collection of words, but when searching for a phrase, you enclose the words in quotation marks (“), as in "public health". The quotation marks indicate that the words should be considered as one complete search term. Your search returns only the results where the words are together and in the order specified.
Please Note: The Take Action section is not included in search results.
Advanced Search
You can perform an advanced search within the Resources or Organizations sections using the links immediately below the Search box. Click the Resources Search link to perform an advanced search for materials and other resources. Click the Organizations Search link to perform an advanced search for organizations.
Options
You can use the following search boxes or lists on the Advanced Search pages to further limit your search:
All of these words
Enter a single word or a collection of words. Your search returns all the results that contain every word typed in this search box, either together or separately, but in no specific order. For example, typing gang violence school in this search box will return results containing gang and violence and school anywhere in the content.
The exact word or phrasing
Enter a single word or collection of words. Your search returns only the results where the words are together and in the order specified. For example, typing gang violence school in this search box will return results containing the exact phrase ‘gang violence school’ anywhere in the content.
Topic
Select one or more items from the list of Topics. Your search returns all the results that contain all of the selected topics. For example, selecting Access to Drugs and Access to Weapons will return results that contain both selected topics.
Audience
Select one or more items from the list of Audiences. Your search returns all the results that contain all of the selected audiences. For example, selecting Gov-Health/Healthcare and Gov-Legal will return results that contain both selected audiences.
Type
Select one item from the list of Types if you are searching from the Advanced Resources section. Your search returns all the results that contain the selected type of material or resource. For example, selecting Book from the Advanced Resources section will return all the results of the material/resource type, ‘Book’. Select one or more items from the list of Types if you are searching from the Advanced Organizations section. Your search returns all the results that contain all of the selected types of organizations. For example, selecting Onsite Training/TA and Public Relations will return results that contain both types of organizations.
Additional Fields
You can also use the different options of the Advanced Search in combination with each other. For example, type information into the All of these words search box, choose any Topic and choose any Audience. Your search returns results that contain every word typed in the All of these words search box and also contains the selected Topic and selected Audience.
Tips for All Search Types (Basic, Advanced Section)
If you are unfamiliar with searching, these approaches may help you get relevant results.
Searching Phrases or Multiple Words
If you want to search for two or more words in any order, you can use the search box that appears at the top of each page or the ‘All of these words’ search box of the Advanced Search screens. Your search returns content that contains all of the words that you typed, in any order.
If you want to search for two or more words next to each other in that specific order, you can use the search box that appears at the top of each page and enclose the words in quotations marks (“). For example, “bullying at your school “. You can also use ‘The exact word or phrasing’ search box of the Advanced Search screens. When you enclose a phrase in quotation marks or use ‘The exact word or phrasing’ search box, your search returns only the results where the words are together and in the order specified.
Did you mean?
The ‘Did you mean?’ feature is displayed above your search results. This feature suggests alternate queries formatted as links. To search again on an alternate query, click on one of the links.
Stopwords
A stopword is a word that the system ignores when performing your search. In other words, the system performs your search on only the most important words you type. If you use any stopwords in your search strategy, the system will ignore them, unless you are using them in the exact phrase search. The words a, an, and, or, not, next, with are some common examples of stopwords. For example, searching for Cost Violence United States is the same thing as search for the longer title The Cost of Violence in the United States.
Wild Cards
Wild card characters such as the asterisk (*) are not supported in this system.
Broadening Your Search (if you find too little)
If your search is not finding any results, or not finding as many as you would like, you need to broaden it. Here are a few options:
- Remove one of the terms from your search. If you are using too many terms, you might be restricting the search too much.
- Look for misspellings in the terms you have entered. The system will only match exact, correct spellings.
- Use the ‘Did you mean?’ The search results page displays a ‘Did you mean?’ feature above your search results if the search word is mistyped. This feature suggests alternate queries formatted as links. To search again on an alternate query, click on one of the links.
- Change one of the terms to a broader term. For example, replace peer counseling with counseling.
- Change an acronym to the full name of an organization. For example:
- Replace OJJDP with Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
- Instead of searching on ADD search for attention deficit disorder.
Narrowing Your Search (if you find too much)
If you get too many results, you need to narrow your search. Here are a few options:
- Make your wording more specific. For example:
- Add another term to a general word. Instead of prevention, use crime prevention. Instead of treatment, use mental health treatment.
- Add a geographic qualification to a general phrase. Instead of community based organizations, use community based organizations Connecticut.
- Add another word. For example:
- If you are searching for the word health, you are likely to find too many matches. Limit the search by entering another word to the same search box, such as mental health.