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See also:
Truncation searching | Boolean searching

Proximity searching (NEAR, FOLLOWED BY)

Proximity searching allows you to combine search terms using the two proximity operators NEAR and FBY (FOLLOWED BY). Enter the required terms separated by the proximity operator you wish to use.

When searching using NEAR and FBY, you can specify the maximum number of words you want to allow between the terms by entering a full stop followed by the required number after the operator, for example near.6. When executing a phrase proximity search, English Poetry Second Edition counts the number of words between the first word of the first phrase and the first word of the second phrase.

If no maximum is set, the software will retrieve all items where the terms entered are within ten words of each other. However, you may not see all the words that you searched for until you view the Full text of the work, as only the five words directly before and after the first search term are given in the Search results.

NEAR

The NEAR operator enables you to search for terms situated within a specified distance of each other, and in any order.

FOLLOWED BY

The FBY (FOLLOWED BY) operator enables you to search for terms situated within a specified distance of each other, and in the specified order.


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