Using search operators
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Search operators allow you to write your own advanced queries to garner precise search results in your case transcripts and notes. Once you learn to use search operators, you can advance to typing complex searches that will help you locate facts and details that might otherwise take hours of transcript review to uncover.
Full-text queries can be run from the Full Text Search box in the Search pane (or from the Full Text Search dialog box in the Full Text Query tab). See Running full-text searches.
Full-text searches use the following operators:
| • | Boolean |
| • | Proximity |
| • | Wildcard |
| • | Numeric |
| • | LIKE |
Boolean operators are based on the binary logic used in computers today, producing strict true or false results. The most common Boolean operators are AND, OR, and NOT. Search terms are not case sensitive; you don't have to enter all caps for "AND" when typing a search query. However, it is important to type spaces between the search terms and the operator being used.
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Proximity operators are useful in finding text that appears in transcripts within a specified range of words. The proximity operators used in TextMap are NEAR and BEFORE. You can use the Nearness scroll bar to adjust the range of terms you want from zero to 100. This range is the maximum number of intervening indexed words, excluding those on the ignore list. The Nearness default range is set to five terms.
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Wildcard operators are symbols you can use as a substitute for characters or series of characters, creating a broader search with stronger results.
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Use numeric operators to help you locate numbers in a transcript.
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Use the LIKE operator to finds synonyms from the global and case thesauruses for the search term you specify. The global thesaurus and case thesaurus include lists of terms that have been defined as having the same meaning. You cannot add new terms to the global thesaurus, but you can add terms to the case thesaurus so you do not miss those references in a transcript search. This is especially helpful if you have a case with many similar terms mentioned that may mean the same thing.
Example: LIKE water A search like this may return results for irrigation and wet.
Example: LIKE aspirin For a case involving the pain reliever aspirin, you may want to add the terms: Advil®, Bayer®, ibuprofen, and Tylenol®.
Example: LIKE mold For a case involving mold, you may want to add the types of mold strains, such as Stachybotrys, Penicillium, and Aspergillus.
For more information, see Adding terms to the case thesaurus. |
Advanced queries can combine multiple operators and search terms. TextMap uses a hierarchy to evaluate search queries and return results in a specific order. When you combine search queries, you can use parentheses to enforce operator precedence. Searches within parentheses are evaluated before they are combined with other search operators. Parentheses have the highest precedence.
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