SPIRES Searching Help
This page will help you with the basic syntax of
SPIRES commands that can be used in any database. For help with
individual databases (HEP, HEPNames, institutions etc.), go to the main
page for that database (above) and click on help below the search box.
Basics
- In the search box type a find command as follows:
FIND index-name search-word(s) [ Boolean Operator
index-name search-term ]
- FIND is optional, you can leave it out if you like.
- Index-name is one of the indexes (see below).
- Search-word(s) is the word or words you are looking for.
- Boolean Operators are "and" "and not"
"or" and combine searches with different terms or indexes
- Then select a format and a sort order from the pull-down menus.
- The press hit return or click "Search"
Indexes
Each database has its own set of indexes, or search words that you
can use. For instance in HEP you can find author, or find title,
or find date-added, while in HEPNames you can search on things like PHD
institution, or email address. For a list and explanation of the
search terms for a database, see that database's help page.
Useful Tricks
-
and
find t proton and a feynman fin a witten and a seiberg
-
or
fin a susskind or a peskin fin aff SLAC or a Guth
- not
fin a peskin and not aff SLAC fin t compton not scattering
-
Truncation
fin
t microproces#
Searches for anything starting with the preceding string. This is
not available in all searches, and may cause your search to take a bit
more time. On the other hand it can be very useful.
The string usually must contain at least two characters, so fin t m#
would not be allowed.
- Browsing
Many SPIRES databases have a browse function that allows you to browse
the contents of a chosen index from a specified starting point.
This can help you see how things are written, and if there are likely
alternate spellings you should look out for.
For instance, selecting affiliation, and typing "stanford" would yield
these results, which show you the different possible affiliations
involving Stanford in the database.
- More database commands
- Use the show and explain commands to learn more about
the database. For example,
show subfile description
gives a brief description of the database. An equivalent command is
explain hep
-
show search terms or
show indexes
you will get the list of the database search terms and their valid
aliases. Use these search terms ('indexes') with the find and browse
commands.
- The command
show subfile size
will show how many records are stored in the database.
More Information
These contain detailed technical information about SPIRES and how
it works. These are not likely to be useful to users, but you are welcome
to browse.
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