Altavista: Required Terms

[Greg Notess]

Sarah,
	Check to be sure that you do not put a space between the + and the search
term. When I tried your searches they worked properly as an AND in the
simple search.  "+nesbeitt +library +bridgewater"  brought up only 6 hits.
If you continue to receive the results you report, I would be curious to
know what Web browser, computer, and operating system you use. Maybe the
system you use sends a different character rather than the + character,
even though it looks right on your screen.

>I've noticed something odd when performing a simple query in AltaVista -
>specifically when specifying that terms be required in the search results
>by preceding them with a + sign.  The AltaVista help file states that
>terms will be required in search results by using a + before them, or
>removed when preceded by a - (minus sign).  However, search results don't
>bear this out; in fact, it acts as if no sign was placed in front of the
terms
>at all.
>
>Example:  The search "+nesbeitt" retrieves 468 documents.  (I realize these
>numbers aren't exact.)
>
>The search "+nesbeitt +library" retrieves approximately "3000 documents."
>
>The search "+nesbeitt +library +bridgewater" retrieves approximately "30000
>documents."   Etc.  You'd think that forcing more required terms would
narrow 
>the search, not widen it.
>
>As far as I can tell, I'm entering search terms correctly according to the
>example they include in the help file.  Does anyone have any idea why this 
>happens?
>
>The Advanced Query page, in which one includes AND in between the search
>terms, performs the search correctly.
>
>Am I missing something?


+ + + + + + + + + + + + +  +    +        +                +         
+  Greg R. Notess, Reference Librarian       	406-994-6563 
+  Montana State University-Bozeman Library    	406-994-2851 fax
+  PO Box 173320
+  Bozeman, MT 59717-3320                      	align at montana.edu
+            		http://imt.net/~notess/
+ + + + + +