Text box
Full term searching: Type in a word or words (without quotation marks); the engine will look for exact, full matches of each complete word.
Phrase or substring searching: Type in a string of characters, part of a word, a phrase, or part of a phrase, and enclose in double quotation marks " " and the engine will look for an exact match of that string wherever it occurs, regardless of whether it is complete words or part of a word.
Avoid using punctuation marks in your search terms: If you want to search on a term that has punctuation, search on each part of the string which is separated by the mark, and join them with a Boolean AND.
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Buttons
 "Go" activates the search function
 "Reset" clears all terms from the text field. On Advanced search, "Reset" also restores the checkboxes to the default checked state.
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Booleans
You may use Boolean connectors (and, or, comma) within the text field.
- AND finds results matching all specified search criteria.
- OR finds results matching any specified search criteria.
- NOT finds results containing no instances of the specified search criteria.
You may also use parentheses ( ) in a Boolean query to group terms and clarify the syntax of the search.
On the History page (see note on History below), an additional Boolean search using AND or OR is available after you have made at least two searches, enabling you to combine them.
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Case Insensitivity
Search is case insensitive. You can type your terms in all capital letters or all lowercase, or a mix, and get the same results.
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Advanced Search
Access the Advanced Search form by clicking the  "expand" button at the top of the Simple Search screen.
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Fields
This portion of the Advanced search form enables you to narrow your search to specific elements of the EcoSal data.
- Check boxes to select or unselect fields.
- Check multiple fields to look for results matching any of your selections.
- In this area of the form, checking multiple boxes automatically joins them with Boolean OR.
- By default, all fields are checked and all fields are searched when the "Go" button is pressed.
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History
Each search you run during a session can be found in the History section and is identified by number. It is in this area where you select the searches you want to join (see below). The list of searches in the History section will continue to grow for the duration of your search session, or until you logout from the site. To rerun a search, click the  button. To clear it at any time, click the "clear history" link.
On the History page, an additional Boolean search using AND or OR is available after you have made at least two searches, enabling you to combine them.
- AND finds results matching criteria of both searches.
- OR finds results matching criteria of either search.
More than one term in same text field: A Boolean (AND or OR) search of one field is achieved like this:
- perform two separate searches of the same field
 check the boxes in front of the [numbered] searches you want to combine
- select the Boolean operator
 for the combination search
- then run the combined search
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Search Results
This page displays the records found.
- Search Results indicates how many modules or chapters match your search criteria and lists links to each.
- The
 button displays the full text of each module or chapter with your search terms highlighted in yellow.
 The Add to Saved Searches checkbox enables you to save your searches.
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Saved Searches
All searches you have saved appear here, and are saved to your profile for future sessions, so that the next time you log in, you can easily re-run the same search without having to reconstruct it. Saved searches are listed by type (simple or advanced), by search terms, and by date saved. The "Edit" button for each saved search allows you to create, save, and update comments on each search. To save a search, on the search results page click the Saved Searches checkbox. Your Saved Searches page is also available from the Search menu. Delete saved searches by clicking the checked boxes.
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Gene Synonyms
The EcoSal site links to the CGSC (E. coli Genetic Stock Center) database at Yale to enable EcoSal users to look up Gene Synonyms and Protein Synonyms.
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