Search Tips

Searching for an exact phrase

• Use the drop down menu where appropriate.  Typing in more than 4 characters starts the autocomplete feature, for example purkin gives the following list of options.  Terms in the drop-down menu will have synonyms and/or definitions.
  
  

AND my terms/OR my terms

• By default, terms that are entered without quotation marks are joined by an "AND" (e.g., synuclein AND cerebellum), and will require both terms to be present to retrieve a result.
  
  
  
  
• You may specify at any time that terms should be joined by an "OR" or an “AND” by clicking on the radio buttons.

Synonyms/No Synonyms

• Also included by default are any synonyms available in the vocabularies.
  
  
  
  You may specify that they not be included from the Search button pull-down menu by clicking on the check box next to synonyms, thereby deselecting it.
  
  

Using the Vocabularies

• If your search terms are in the vocabularies, or auto-completed (requires 4 letters), you may make use of the Search Options by clicking on the arrow next to the folder in the Search Options box.
  
  
  
  Note it may take several expansions of related concepts. Other submenu options can include Parts (ex. Parts of cerebellum) and Subclass (GABAergic neurons are composed of many subclasses ex. Purkinje cells).
  
  
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  Clicking on the gray boxes includes other options in the search using the “OR” Boolean command.
  
  
  
  
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  Right click on any term to find out more information or effect the search by using the ‘Make root’ command.
  
  
  
  

Search for Genes

• To search for genes, type in “gene:” followed by the gene symbol or gene name.  Example: Gene:snca.
  
  
  
  

  These synonyms come from NCBI, not NIF and choosing various species from the Preferences pop-up box can control your output.  Mammals are the default, but any other combination of species can be chosen.  Note, you can save your species preferences by logging into NIF using either your Google or Yahoo mail accounts.
  
  

  
  Choosing all of the possible species, then searching again, increased the synonyms brought back for the gene:snca search.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Beginning a New Advanced Search

• Use the Clear button to clear the contents of the previous search prior to beginning a new Search.