NB. In the examples which follow, the data to be entered
in the Query or Search Field of the Form are in "quotes". Don't enter the
quotes. Similarly, the options to be selected are also in "quotes".
- Sites with Simple, Usually Single Entry Forms
- Single Word/Term/Key
- Go to GenForum at Genealogy.com
- Entry Field Needs a Surname or a County Name
- Try entering "Feliciana" then click on "Find"
- Try entering "East Felicia" then click on "Find"
- Try entering "East" then click on "Find"
- It's obvious this Forms Page used "East" as the Search Key
and Ignored the Second Word Which Was Misspelled. It couldn't find
"Feliciana" by itself, even though this is part of the County (actually
Parish) Name
- There was no indication on this page how the Key would be
formed from what was entered!
- Simple "And" or "Or" of Words/Terms/Keys
- Go to East Feliciana Parish at
GenForum
- And or Both
- Enter "Thomas Smith", Select "Find all the Words" and click "Go"
- Look at the Four Hits (at the time this was written)
- The two names occur somewhere associated with the query.
- The search used the author's name as part of the message/file searched
- The phrase "Thomas Smith" would be found by an "And" search, but no distinction would be made in the "Hits" to isolate such a phrase.
- This search type is more useful when associating a person with
a location or another person or an occupation, etc.
- Or or Any
- Enter "Thomas Smith", Select "Find any of the Words" and click "Go"
- There are 33 Hits (as of this writing)
- This search is not of much use except to find two very infrequently occurring keys in a single search.
- Or if you wish to locate either of the spellings of surname.
- Such Simple Search Strategies are Not Very Useful if Looking for a Specific Individual
- Especially since many queries have not been designed with "how they
might be found" in mind.