Surprised by the number of results returned? AltaVista Search counts
every single word in your query, but displays the best results first.
Expecting AltaVista Search to return many results? Try displaying the results in Compact Form.
To find related words in a query, it is a good idea to enter synonyms: flu influenza virus
To ensure all combinations of words are included in your query,
consider alternate representations of words: television TV.
Enter lower-case words to match any case: tokyo matches Tokyo, TOKYO, tokyo, ToKyo.
Entering a query with upper-case letters matches only words with that spelling.
Paris matches Paris, but not paris or PARIS.
To find words in your native language, try entering the special characters
in your query: enter Fáilte for an Irish welcome.
If you are unsure about entering special characters in your query,
just omit the characters: éléphant also matches elephant.
To find a phrase, use double quotes: "Santa Claus", or use
punctuation with no space between the words: deja-vu.
To ensure a word is present in a document, add a plus sign: +noir+film
To ensure a word is not present in a document, enter a minus sign.
For example +pinot+noir-"pinot noir"
To find a family of words in one query, use the * notation:
invest* matches words like invest, invester, investers, investment, and investing.
To find a family of words in one query, use the * notation. For example colo*r matches color and colour.
To limit your search to local documents, try selecting
My CD-ROM Documents from the drop-down menu labeled Search.
Try spending a few minutes in Help to explore the powerful
capabilities of AltaVista Search.
To refine a search, try entering a keyword.
See the Help on Search for examples.