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EFFECTIVE
PUBLIC RECORDS DATABASE SEARCHING
One of the biggest hazards in
searching large public record databases is the likelihood that your query will not find
pertinent information. This can be due to a poorly designed database or a poorly
constructed query. In order to make an effective search of a data file, it is crucial that
you have a clear understanding of the structure of the database and how the search
software works. All databases are
organized into records and fields. In a phone listings database, each record, or phone
listing, consists of five data elements, or fields: NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, ZIP and PHONE
NUMBER.
Once you understand the structure of a
database, you must determine which fields are searchable, how the data is entered in those
fields and, most importantly, whether the field is indexed as a string or as text.
Text Indexes
JuriSearch indexes our searchable fields as
text indexes or word indexes. This means that the records in the database can be located
with individual words as opposed to strings of characters. JuriSearch's search and
retrieval is not case sensitive, has the [*] wild card and will work whether or not commas
or periods are used in the query.
Any of the following queries will give the
same, correct results: [JOHN HARRIMAN] [John Harriman] [HARRIMAN, JOHN] [Harriman, John].
Essentially, all of these queries say
exactly the same thing: "Find all records that have the word JOHN and HARRIMAN, along
with any other words, in the name field". Significantly, all of the above queries
would also find JOHN ROGER HARRIMAN and J R HARRIMAN, neither of which would be found in a
string indexed data file. We purposefully leave the middle initial [R] out of the query as
we do not know if the subject was entered in the database with a middle initial or not.
The only way to become an effective
searcher of large databases is to practice with the database until you understand how the
file is indexed and what conventions the search software uses to determine what is a
"hit" and what is not. When you take the time to do so, you will save money,
work faster, and get much better results. You may wish to experiment with only $1
Ultimate Weapon search, although at some peak periods it may not be available because of
the demands on our system.
If you have any questions or need help
regarding searching or any other matter, please contact JuriSearch Customer Service at
1-877-JURISEARCH or 1-877-587-4732 or email custserv@jurisearch.com. |
