Before we link you through to the main biab search options, please take a moment to read through the information below. Thank you.

How biab online Searches

biab online uses a powerful full-text index based search function. All our searches are underpinned by this.

Quick search using the `Search biab online' box (top right)

This is a full-text search of all relevant text fields*. It searches multiple terms in the AND format.

For instance, if you search for `social archaeology' you will retrieve: records with the phrase `social archaeology' in them; records with the word `social' AND the word `archaeology' both occurring anywhere in them.

*Fields searched by biab full-text search function:

Title of Document [all fields including sub-title & any editorial expansion to the title]
Abstract [of the main document & any sub-documents such as specialist reports or appendices]
Classification Period [eg Mesolithic etc]
Classification Subject [all words from Class Subject definitions]

Search Builder

You can be as specific as you want in your search of the biab online dataset. Use the filter applications at the head of the search builder to pinpoint the publication, person, date-range, or subject area you need.

Don't forget to remove any filters you don't want by pressing the minus button on the right-hand side to delete.

The current filters are:

Title
Abstracts
Classification - subject
Classification - period
   see the Classification page for more information
Author's name
All names
ISBN/ISSN
Publisher
Year of publication
   including the options:
   at least
   at most
   is equal to
   range (from-to)
Dataset
   see the Datasets page for more information
Any Field

Search Form

The Search Form is set out like a standard Advanced Search page and is here in response to user feedback requesting this layout as an option. Text fields have full-text search capabilities with the AND format described above.

You can search for a combination of any or all of the fields, depending on the information you have.

Please note that Year of Publication can be used as follows:

for everything published in a specific year of publication enter the year alone, eg. `1997'
for everything published after a certain year follow with a hyphen, eg.`1997-'
for everything published before a certain year precede with a hyphen, eg. `-1997'
for publications within a specific date-range enter earliest hyphen latest, eg `1967-1997'


If you have any questions on the biab online service's search options please contact us via: info@biab.ac.uk