Searching an information database such as AGRIS requires also an awareness of some of the features of the service. In the first part of this series, “AGRIS Advanced Search Possibilities” we focused on how users can create effective search strategies using the a combination of syntaxes borrowed from the Boolean logic.

In this part will build on the second option – that of using the AGRIS search filter options available on the AGRIS advanced search page.

Fig 1: AGRIS Advanced Search Window

In the AGRIS advanced search window it is possible to search only in the specified fields. For example one might say l need to search only in the title field where my keyword appears. “I need documents where ‘Maize’ appear in their title. A search for maize returns 108,888 records, however a filter on records that have ‘Maize’ as in the title reduces the hit run to 80,886

Fig 2: Searching within specific fields

AGRIS search filters

AGRIS allows users once they execute their searches to use the AGRIS Advances search filters to narrow down their search. The following filters are available:-

1.     Limiting search results by country/data providers

2.     Limiting search results by  language

3.     Limiting search results by content type

4.     Filtering records by date of publication

5.     Filtering records that contain explicit links to full text

The procedure is fairly simple. In the advanced window shown in Fig 1, type in your keywords or search statement, for example l used ‘Maize”, then l am interested in All records from Kenya. In this case l should choose under Data Providers - Kenya*all*, then l click Refine Search the l get 178 records from Kenya.

Fig 3: Limiting search results by country/data providers

The same can be done to see records on a subject from a specific Data Provider. You can also tell how many records are in any country if you simply click Advanced Search widow (see Fig 1) and then directly limit by country under Data Providers, for example  Argentina (*all*) brings 16,129 records

This is similar in the case of 3-5 filters mentioned above (limiting search results by language, limiting search results by content type, and filtering records by date of publication). For example l searched Zea mays (scientific name for “Maize”) and then limited this under language for records available in Spanish.

One of the common demands of AGRIS users is to request full-text access to AGRIS records.

Fig 4: Filtering records that contain explicit links to the full text

The steps to access full text follow the same outline as the previous filter. In this case the user should press the “Filter records that contain explicit links to the full text”. More information here.

In conclusion, why not try to play around these limit functions and see how AGRIS can open new avenues to interact with AGRIS records ?