About Global Keyword Searching

You can use the Global Keyword Search across all available QFHS datasets and in all fields within those datasets.

Enter your keyword,for example: surname, given name, place name, occupation.

If you are searching on more than one term, separate your keywords by a space or an asterisk.

Using spaces

Using key words separated by a space between them will return all datasets that contain all the keywords.

For example, using the keywords Leslie Mitchell will return all datasets that have the words Leslie anywhere and Mitchell anywhere. The word order does not matter; you can search using Leslie Mitchell or Mitchell Leslie.

e.g.

Leslie Ernest Mitchell buried in Townsville, Belgian Gardens

Mitchell Leslie Dobbie at Nashville High School

Leslie Deshon at Mitchell State High School

Using asterisks

An asterisk can be used in two ways.

If you combine two words with an asterisk and no space, e.g. Leslie*Mitchell, this will return all datasets that have Leslie immediately followed by Mitchell. The search terms will need to occur in the same field. The order of the words matters.

e.g.

• Leslie Mitchell Just, officer in charge of a tobacco factory
• Clive Leslie Mitchell Marriott, a salesman of Margate

The second use of asterisk is for stemming. A search using Mitchel* will return all datasets that contain a word that begins with Mitchel (i.e. a word that has the 'stem', Mitchel.)

e.g.

• George Mitchell of Harris Estate Eagle Farm
• Charles Park White of Mitchelton Estate

Leslie Mitchel* will return all datasets that have the term Leslie anywhere and the word beginning with Mitchel anywhere

e.g.

• Leslie Norman Andrew of 97 Blackwood Rd., Mitchelton

Combining spaces and asterisks

You can combine a space and an asterisk. For example, Robert* Mitchell gives a different result to Robert*Mitchell.

Please note: you can use these techniques (space and asterisk) in every QFHS dataset by entering the search terms in the Keyword Search field at the top.