Search our collections
Getting the results you want can take a bit of practice and this page is here to help.
If you open the collections database in a new window or tab, you can refer back to this guide.
Instead of searching you can browse every object in the database
The simple search
This search is for quick searches using key words.
Start by clicking on the search tab and then click on Simple search in the left-hand menu.
Type your word or words in the box, just like in Google, then click on the Go button or press enter.
Some tips:
- Use common words like the names of objects and places
- Check your spelling!
- The search looks for words in the names and descriptions of objects. Think about what the object you are looking for is called or which words might describe it
Don’t be disappointed if you don’t find anything. The database has only a small fraction of our collections in it.
Try the Simple search
Advanced search
This search lets you put key words in particular boxes and use lists of words to find objects.
Start by clicking on the search tab and then click on Advanced search in the left-hand menu.
You can use more specialist terms in the fields displayed here, such as the place where an object was made.
Alternatively you can click on one of the green buttons to produce a list that you can scroll through. The lists are alphabetical so if, for example, you type the letter P into a box with the green list button and then click on the green button the list will start at P.
Advanced search lets you search for comments and tags written by other users. Just type the word you are searching for in the tags or comment box and click on Go or press enter. You can add your own tags and comments too!
You can filter your results by clicking on the buttons in the Sort by row under the search boxes.
Finally click on the Go button or press enter to search the database.
Try the Advanced search
Expert search
This search is designed for people who are familiar with databases and Boolean searches.
Start by clicking on the search tab and then click on Expert search in the left-hand menu.
You can choose your field from the drop down list and then enter the values you are searching for. Truncation is toggled by a tick box and there is a drop down list of Boolean operators.
To add another line to your search just click on the small plus sign in a box that’s at the end of the search line.
Try the Expert search
Finding more help
There are little help pages in the database. They are found by clicking on words in the main page – you can find out if a word is a link or not by clicking on it.
Other features
The database has a few more tricks up its sleeve that you may find useful.
Use the tabs to navigate the different screens. The active tab for the page you are looking at shows up as dark green, as in the image below.
The Results tab displays all the records linked to your search. The green buttons with arrows let you move through the pages if you have lots of results.
The Details tab displays the information held about the objects and one or more photos. Clicking on Extended display in the left-hand menu gives all the data held about an object, while clicking on Object card gives a shorter version.
The other two items in the left-hand menu can be helpful too. Refine search result lets you go back to the Simple search. Print lets you print out the records. You can see a screen shot of the details page below.
The Selection tab lists only the records you selected from the list. To remove a record from your selection, simply click on the red cross beside it. You can go back to the full list of records by simply clicking on the Results tab again.
The left hand menu has several options in it:
- Clear selection removes everything from the selection
- Send via email lets you send an email with the basic object information in it. Please note that the email will not contain a link in it at present
- Show detail takes you to the Object card display in the Details tab
- Download selection lets you save the selected objects' numbers as a Word document
There is a screen shot of the Selection tab below.
The Search History tab stores your searches and is useful if you want to run a search again. It also records how many records a search found. There is a screen shot of the Search History tab below.
