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A thesaurus is a list of possible
search terms with codes (called relation-types) which indicate the relationships
between the terms. A thesaurus can make retrieval easier and improve
control over the data in the catalogue. A thesaurus may be used for authority control, it clarifies terminology, provides cross-referencing, and generally
improves access to information.
With the Browse Thesaurus page you can navigate the hierarchy of a
thesaurus, view thesaurus relationships, search the contents
of a thesaurus and search for thesaurus terms in the catalogue.
- Note:
- For more information about the Quick Search and other actions available in the Browse Thesaurus page toolbar, see
Toolbar help.
Explore the Thesaurus
The Browse Thesaurus page allows you to explore a
thesaurus. Click the expand  icon
or the term name to display the related items and information for a thesaurus
term. Click the collapse  icon
or the term name to close the display for that term. Click the Collapse All button to hide the relationships displayed
for all terms. To return the Browse Thesaurus page to its initial state, click
the Reload Initial Tree button.
Search the Thesaurus
The Browse Thesaurus page allows you to search a
thesaurus.
- In the Find Term criterion box, select the
search operator to apply to the term you enter in the term input box. The
following table describes each search operator:
| Operator |
Returns |
| Starts with |
Terms that begin with the value you enter in the text
input box. For example, if you specify ON in
the text input box, a valid term match is Ontario. |
| Is |
The term identical to the value you enter in the text
input box. |
| Contains |
Terms that match or contain the value you enter in the
text input box. For example, if you specify ON
in the text input box, valid term matches include Ontario, Boston, London, and Niagara on the
lake. |
| Ends with |
Terms that end with the value you enter in the text
input box. For example, if you specify ON in
the text input box, a valid term match is Boston. |
- In the Find Term text input box, enter the
value you want to find in the thesaurus.
- Click the Go button.
- Note:
- You can also search a thesaurus from the Search Assistant page.
Search the Database
The Browse Thesaurus page enables quick and easy searching of your
database for records that contain thesaurus terms. To search the
catalogue for a term displayed on the Browse Thesaurus page:
- Move your mouse over the term name or inactive search
 icon. The active search
icon  will
appear. Depending on the thesaurus you are browsing, you may
instead see a count of the number of results for the selected term.
- Click the activated search icon or Search text.
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