Search the Collection

Help

• Keyword Search
  • Search tips
• Limiting keyword search using 'medium' filters
• Search results
• Refining or narrowing search results
  • Clearing keywords and starting a new search
  • Applying field search filters
• Advanced searching
  • Excluding specific keywords
  • Exact matching to keywords
  • Further refining advanced search with 'All' fields filter options and exact match
  • Using an 'OR' in searching keywords
  • Refining search results using filter categories or facets
• Viewing an individual title
• Adding titles to a list
• Adding titles to an access request form
• More searching hints and tips
• For more information
• Glossary of terms

Keyword Search

On the home screen, you can start your keyword search.

For the best results, simply enter words into the search box which best describe what you are looking for. A search query can consist of a single keyword or multiple keywords. Start with broad descriptive words, review the search results, and then refine your search using one or more filters.

The search button (magnifying glass icon) activates your search and will retrieve titles based on relevancy to your search criteria.

This field operates as an 'or' search, that is, it searches for each individual word entered into the search box and looks for these words anywhere in the catalogue record. For example, a search on 'kangaroo palace'will bring back results with the words kangaroo or palace anywhere in catalogue record, including the title, summary, credits, name record or holding details fields.

Search Tips

Search is case insensitive - you may use upper- or lower-case characters.

Non-alphanumeric characters are NOT currently supported. Entering characters, for example # or $, are ignored by the search.

Limiting keyword search using 'medium' filters

On the home screen, you can also limit your keyword search by applying 'medium' filters to refine your initial search.

You can select one or more 'medium' filters to refine your search from the available options:

If you select multiple filters, it operates as an 'OR' search, for example, by selecting the filters film and documentation, you will get both film and documentation items relevant to your search.

Search results

Search results will be displayed along with a visual indicator showing how many results are currently being displayed on the page and the total number of titles matching your search criteria.

The search criteria used in the keyword search will appear in the search box above the search results.

Each individual result (title) in the search results is displayed in order of relevance and contains a summary of key information as follows:

• Title name: provides more detail about the work or title.
• Date: Year associated with the title.
• Role: the role and name of the principal credit role for the title, such as director for film or performer for recorded sound.
• Summary: a short description of the title highlighted.
• Medium, Form and Genre: Additional classifications describing the title.

If you scroll to the bottom of the list of search results, you can use the 'page' numbers to navigate through the pages of search results.

Use Previous or Next to move backwards or forwards with the results pages. You can also click a displayed 'page' number to go to a specific page.

Refining or narrowing search results

On the search result page, there are options to apply further filters to your search, and under the 'Advanced' option to exclude specific keywords orspecify exact words to match, to allow you to refine your search.

You can also choose to clear your current search and enter a new search.

Clearing keywords and starting a new search

Click the "X" in the search box and advanced search fields to clear any keywords.

Type in new keywords and click on the search button (magnifying glass) to activate a new search.

Applying field search filters

To narrow your search, you can select one or more values from the 'ALL FIELDS' field list of options.

This allows you to focus your search within specific data fields that are common across titles. The search will be limited to those selected fields and if the keyword(s) do not exist within those fields, no results will be returned. It's important to remember that ALL of the keywords have to exist in the selected fields for a result to match.

For a broad, full text search, start without selecting any of the 'ALL FIELDS' for search fields, then review your results and select additional fields from the drop-down list to narrow your search.

When one or more values have been selected in the 'ALL FIELDS' field list of options, an asterix(*) will appear in the field.

Before starting a new search, untick those selections before you search again.

Advanced searching

To refine your search and set more specific search conditions, click on the 'ADVANCED' option.

Excluding specific keywords

In addition to the main search keyword(s) in the search box, you can enter other keyword(s) to exclude specific words/terms from the search results.

Exact matching to keywords

The concept of exact match searching can be executed in two ways.

Firstly, by switching on the 'Only exact matches' checkbox below the main search box. This will bring back search results that contain the exact string of keywords entered into the search box. This allows for a narrower search as opposed to if 'Only exact match' is switched off, where the search results will be returned for any of the keywords entered.

For example, "mad max" with the 'Only exact matches' switched on will return results where the keywords/phrase "mad max" appears in that specific sequence of words.

To remove the 'Only exact matches' filter, before doing another search, uncheck the box.

An alternate way to refine your search is by entering additional keywords into the 'ALSO EXACTLY MATCH TO' field to refine your search results to show results from the main keyword search and then narrowed down by the additional keywords.

For example, in a search for "mad max", and adding the word "thunderdome" in the 'ALSO EXACTLY MATCH TO' field, this will return results which contain the keywords "mad max" AND "thunderdome" in any sequence.

Further refining advanced search with 'ALL FIELDS' fields filter options and using 'Only exact matches'

To narrow your search results even further, you can focus your search within specific data fields in the collection that are common across titles by using the options in the 'ALL FIELDS' fields drop-down list.

For example, in a search for 'mad max fury road' with the 'Title' field selected and 'Only exact matches' is switched on, the search will only return results where the exact phrase (that is the entire four words "mad max fury road") entered into the search field appear in the 'Title' only and not where they appear in the 'Summary'. In other words, selecting one or more fields from the options in the drop-down list, forces the search to look ONLY in those selected fields in the collection.

Using an 'OR' in searching keywords

By using the | ('pipe') symbol in the search field, you can apply 'OR' to the keywords entered into the search field. The 'OR' search will return results containing either/any of the words entered.

The pipe symbol can be found on your keyboard above the Enter button.

For example, in a search for either "mad max fury road" OR "mad max thunderdome" as keywords, using the | ('pipe') symbol appropriately between the worlds/phrases will return results which contain either of the two keywords/phrases.

In a further example, in a search for either “fury road” OR “thunderdome” as keywords it is possible to refine this further by adding “mad max” to the 'Also exactly match to' field to produce the same search results in the previous example.

Refining search results using filter categories or facets

Search filter categories (also called facets) can be applied to refine search results. These filter categories/facets appear down the left-hand panel on the search results page.

Filter categories are as follows:

You can select facets from multiple filter categories and also select one or more facets within those categories which support multiple facet values.

The results page clearly displays which filters have been applied to the search results, and those filters can be removed by clicking the 'X' next the filter facet.

Viewing an individual title

Clicking on the title link will reveal further detail for that individual title record.

Credit names and items under the 'Form' details that are hyperlinked will start a new search listing for that item. For example, clicking on Feature Film will show a list of all feature films in the collection. Clicking on a name in an individual title, for example, Byron Kennedy, will show a list of all titles in which Byron Kennedy is included in the credits with that same credit role e.g. Byron Kennedy as Producer.

Adding titles to a list

The list feature allows you to compile a list of titles. From this List you can submit an Access Request (more information see below).

You can select titles to add to your list be either clicking the '+ Add' button to the right of the title on the search results page or by clicking on the '+ Add' button on the individual title page.

You can access your list via the main menu navigation bar using the 'Your List' option or by the link showing "You have x item(s) in your list".

Titles can be removed from your list by clicking the trashcan icon within the list view page.

You can remove all titles from your list using the 'Clear All' button.

Adding titles to an Access Request form

An access request can be submitted by clicking on the 'Access Request' button at the top of your list view. Note: you need to have at least one item in your list to make a request.

Note, this does not remove the titles from your list, but simply copies them into an Access Request form.

You can remove titles from your Access Request form. Note that this does not remove the titles from your list view.

If you delete a title(s) from your access request form in error, you can go back to your list and add the title again.

You will need to complete all of the required fields on the form and then submit your request.

Before submitting an Access Request we encourage you to read Using the Collection.

Once submitted, you will receive an on-screen message, and email, containing a reference number and an email address for enquiries relating to your access request.

More searching hints and tips

• Multiple searches using different terms is advisable, in order to give the best chance of finding content that is of interest.
• Frequently, catalogue records have no date, or an approximate date is entered. Be aware that by specifying a date, you may unintentionally exclude results that have no date, or an incorrect date entered.
• When searching for oral histories, some relevant material may have been classified as an "Interview" rather than an "Oral History" so it is better to search for both.

For more information

If you require additional information on our holdings after searching the collection catalogue or would like to find out more information about obtaining a copy of a particular title, please submit an Access Enquiry. The Access team's response times are listed on the Access and Enquiry forms.

Glossary of terms