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Truncating Keywords
To find records containing words with similar spellings, or with the same root stem, use "wildcard" symbols to truncate words. In Pathfinder "keyword" searches, the symbols *, #, ? , and + substitute for letters in a word.
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* |
Right-hand truncation
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substitutes for multiple letters
at the end of a word
Example
Type librar* to retrieve listings with the root librar
followed by any number of letters: librarian, librarians,
librarianship, libraries, library |
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# |
Single character mask
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substitutes for a single letter
within your search term
Examples
Type wom#n to retrieve listings with either woman
or women.
Type librar### to retrieve listings with the root librar,
followed by any 3 letters: librarian or libraries,
but not librarians or librarianship |
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? |
Variable character mask
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substitutes for multiple letters
within your search term
Example
Type spokes?n to retrieve listings with the words: spokesman,
spokesmen, spokeswoman, spokeswomen, spokesperson
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+
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Standard English plural endings
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substitutes for the letters "s"
and "es"
at the end of words
Example
Typing parrot+ retrieves listings with the words parrot or parrots
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- Both "right truncation" and "embedded truncation" are allowed.
- For best results, include enough letters to be distinctive and retrieve only relevant words. For example, searching commun* finds communicate and communications, but also communities, communes, communists, etc. Searching communic* avoids this problem.
- If you include too few letters, your search may retrieve so many items that Pathfinder cannot process it.
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