Thinkfinity search is easy to use. Simply type what you are looking for in the keyword box and you will find many great resources from one of Thinkfinity's Content Partners.
Below is information that can help you understand how the Thinkfinity search works and several tips to allow you to become a more powerful search user.
Search Filters
You can filter the search results using option boxes available for Resource Types, Grade Levels, Subjects, and Partners. Filter options should be used when you are searching for results in specific areas as they will greatly refine you search results.
Include Partner Reviewed Resources
If your initial search results don't contain resources that meet your expectations you have the option to include resources from external sites that have been reviewed by a panel of experts from our Content Partners.
Phrase search ("")
By putting double quotes around a set of words, you are searching the exact words in that exact order without any change. By insisting on phrase search you might be missing good results accidentally. For example, a search for [ "President Obama" ] (with quotes) will miss the pages that refer to President Barack Obama.
Terms you want to exclude (-)
Attaching a minus sign immediately before a word indicates that you do not want pages that contain this word to appear in your results. The minus sign should appear immediately before the word and should be preceded with a space. You can exclude as many words as you want by using the - sign in front of all of them, for example [ poems -shape -diamante ] will return results for poems that do not include shape or diamante.
The OR operator
The default behavior is to consider all the words in a search. If you want to specifically allow either one of several words, you can use the OR operator (note that you have to type 'OR' in ALL CAPS). For example, [ music classical OR jazz ] will give you music results about either classical or jazz, whereas [ music classical jazz ] (without the OR) will show pages that include both classical and jazz on the same page. The symbol | can be substituted for OR. (The AND operator, by the way, is the default, so it is not needed.)
Other Search Tips
- Search is always case insensitive. A search for [ verizon foundation ] is the same as a search for [ Verizon Foundation ].
- Every word matters. Generally, all the words you put in the query will be used. However, words that are commonly used, like 'the,' 'a,' and 'for,' are usually ignored (these are called stop words).
- Punctuation is generally ignored, including @#$%^&*()=+[]\ and other special characters.
- Keep it simple. If you're looking for a particular concept or lesson, start with its name. Most queries do not require advanced operators or unusual syntax. Simple is good.
- Describe what you need with as few terms as possible. The goal of each word in a query is to focus it further. Since all words are used, each additional word limits the results. If you limit too much, you will miss a lot of useful information. The main advantage to starting with fewer keywords is that, if you don't get what you need, the results will likely give you a good indication of what additional words are needed to refine your results on the next search. For example, [ oil spill ] is likely to give better results than the longer [oil spill in gulf of mexico].
