Tips for searching PULSE

The PULSE home page (and all related pages) have a simple search form in the left hand navigation area, as well as a link to an advanced search form. There are a number of limitations and issues with the searchable index, and to make the best use of this search interface, I highly recommend:

• Don't search when browsing is more effective
  
  The PULSE home page (and each of the channel home pages) shows the last 14 days on which posts were added. If the item you're looking for is very recent, it's far more effective to browse back through these home pages to find the item - and the subject-oriented channel pages may be especially useful. (See the User's Guide page on PULSE channels). Also, the index of the site is updated automatically every Sunday, so items from the current work week will not appear in search results.
  
  
• Avoid using some common keywords and phrases in the simple search form
  
  The text that appears in the left-hand navigation area appears on every single page of PULSE, and any searches for these words or phrases will essentially return hits for every single PULSE page. This is especially a problem for the text links to the different PULSE channels that appear on every page. (Editor's note, 9/12/03 - it's a problem I'm trying to eliminate or find a lasting solution to....BD). For now, however, try to avoid searches that use words that form part of the channel titles, and use the advanced search form for any queries that do involve those words. On the advanced search form, use the "all the words" from the options there and, as with all such searches, use the most distinctive keywords you can think of and use many keywords or phrases (3-5).
  
  
• Search results can be sorted by relevance or date.
  
  When you search PULSE, the results are initially listed in "score" - that is, in descending order of relevance. To view the results in reverse chronological order, click the link on the search results page "Sort by date." Please be aware, too, that sometimes these results do not appear in exact chronological order. Occaisionally, an older page has for one reason or another been edited, and the search engine will go by the date the page was edited.
  
  

Please contact me if you are having any technical problems with the search interface or with locating a particular item that you know appeared in PULSE...... Bill Davis

Return to the PULSE home page | Return to the advanced search form