C19 Index Help

Help: Search individual indexes

You can restrict your search to an individual index. Choose the index you wish to search by clicking the corresponding link in the panel on the right side of the page. The indexes are grouped according to content type.

How do I perform more complex searches?
How can I change the order in which my results are sorted?
How does relevancy ranking work?
How can I change the number of results displayed per page?
How can I bookmark the search page?
Examples and tips

How do I perform more complex searches?

You can perform more complex searches by limiting your search to an individual index so that you retrieve more precise results.

If you need help deciding what to enter into a search box, you can click the corresponding select from a list link. This displays a list of appropriate terms for you to select, which you then transfer back to the search box when you click the Select button.

How do I find information quickly?

Enter the words you wish to search for in the Keyword box and click the Search button.

Note: Use the predefined operators if you wish to perform a search for multiple keywords which are not usually found next to each other in the same phrase.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records from that individual index containing the word(s) you entered.

Nineteenth Century Short Title Catalogue

To list records for works by a particular author:

Enter an author name into the Author box,
or
choose the author you want from the Author select from a list page.

For example, to limit your search to records for works by Edward Latham, choose LATHAM, Edward from the Author List.

Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing records for Edward Latham's works.

To list information about authors who lived between certain years:

Enter the start year of the period (in full) in the Living in the year(s) From box.
Enter the end year of the period (in full) in the Living in the year(s) To box.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for works by authors living between the specified dates.

Note that you can also search for works published in a particular year or range of years by using the Publication date field, which works in the same way as described above.

To search for records by work title:

Enter a title into the Title box,
or
choose the title you want from the Title select from a list page.

For example, to retrieve only the record for 'On animal instinct; a lecture delivered before the members of the Mechanics' Institute, Colchester, on Monday evening, November 25, 1833', select that title from the title browse list.

Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the record(s) for your chosen title(s).

To list records for works published in a particular place or by a particular publisher:

Enter a publisher or place of publication into the Publisher or Place of publication boxes
or
choose the publisher or place you want from the select from a list page.

For example, to limit your search to records for works published by Deighton & Bell, select that publisher from the Publisher browse list.

Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing records for works published by Deighton & Bell.

You can also search for records for works on a particular NSTC subject, in a particular language, or from a particular source library in the same way as described above. You can also search by NSTC number, or restrict your search to items from a particular NSTC series by selecting from the NSTC series drop-down list.

The Nineteenth Century microfiche project

To search for all entries that contain a particular keyword in the title:

You can use the Title keyword field to search for any word or phrase contained in the title of an entry.

Enter a keyword into the Title keyword box,
or
choose the keyword you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing your chosen keyword in the title.

To search for all records for items by a particular author:

Enter a name into the Author box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items by that author.

To search for all items in a particular collection:

You can use the Collection field to locate records belonging to one or more of the specialist collections in The Nineteenth Century, according to one or more of the original nineteenth-century classifications of books used by the British Library, e.g. History and Archaeology or Children's Literature.

Enter a collection name into the Collection box,
or
choose the collection you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all items in your chosen collection.

To search for all items using Library of Congress subject classifications:

You can locate records in The Nineteenth Century belonging to one or more of the specialist collections, by using their Library of Congress subject classifications:

Enter your subject name(s) into the Names and subjects box,
or
choose the subject name(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed.

To search for all items published in a particular place or published by a particular publisher:

Enter a place into the Place of publication box, or a publisher name into the Publisher keyword box
or
choose the place/publisher you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all items published in that place or by that publisher.

To list items published between certain years or to search over a range of years:

Enter the start year (in full) in the Year of publication From box
Enter the end year (in full) in the Year of publication To box
Click the Search button

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

To search for a particular microfiche number:

You can search for records using the number assigned to the microfiche edition of the work in the Nineteenth Century programme, e.g. 1.1.39.

Type the number into the Microfiche number search box'
or
choose the microfiche number you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

American Periodicals Series

To search for all records for items by a particular author:

Enter a name into the Author box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items by that author.

To search by periodical title:

Enter a word into the Periodical title box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing your chosen word(s) in the title.

To search by article title:

Enter a word into the Article title box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all articles containing your chosen word(s) in the title.

To restrict your search to a particular type of article:

You can restrict your search to a particular type of article (e.g. poems, letters, recipes, reviews, front matter and so on) by using the Article type checkboxes. By default C19 Index will search all article types; to restrict your search to only certain types, click on the checkboxes of the article types you do not wish to search for to deselect them.

To search by location:

Enter a word into the Location box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all articles published in that location.

To search by Periodical subject:

Enter a word into the Periodical subject box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all articles on that subject.

To list items published between certain years or to search over a range of years:

Enter the start year (in full) in the Publication date From box
Enter the end year (in full) in the Publication date To box
Click the Search button

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

British Periodicals

To search for all records for items containing a particular keyword in the article title:

Enter a word into the Article title keyword box.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items containing that keyword in the article title.

To search for all records for items by a particular author:

Enter a name into the Author box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items by that author.

To search by periodical title/editor/subject:

Enter a word into the Periodical title, Periodical editor or Periodical subject box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing your chosen word(s) in the periodical title/editor/subject field.

To limit your search to a particular type of article:

You can restrict your search to a particular type of article (e.g. advertisements, graphics, covers, letters, front matter and so on) by using the Limit to content type checkboxes. By default C19 Index will search all content types; to restrict your search to only certain types, click on the checkboxes of the types you do not wish to search for to deselect them.

Note: Choosing the content type Other will find miscellaneous items including lists of errata and corrigenda, notices etc.

To limit your search to articles containing certain features:

You can restrict your search to articles containing particular features, for example, illustrations or maps, by clicking the appropriate Limit to articles containing checkboxes.

To limit your search by frequency of publication:

You can restrict your search to articles from weekly journals, or those published annually, quarterly, monthly and so on, by clicking the appropriate Frequency of publication checkboxes. By default C19 Index will search all frequencies; to restrict your search to only certain frequencies, click on the checkboxes of the frequencies you do not wish to search for to deselect them.

To list items published between certain years or to search over a range of years:

Enter the start year (in full) in the Date of publication From box
Enter the end year (in full) in the Date of publication To box
Click the arrow next to the Month From and Month To boxes and choose a month if required.
Click the Search button

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year/month, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

To search for an article by the place in which it was published:

Enter a word into the Place of publication box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all articles published in that location.

Cotgreave's Index

To search for all records Cotgreave's Index with a particular word or words in the subject entry field:

Enter a word into the Cotgreave's Index subject entry box,
or
choose the subject you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all Cotgreave's Index records containing the word(s) you have entered in the Cotgreave's Index subject entry field.

To search for all records for items by a particular author:

Enter a name into the Author box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items by that author.

To search by book/periodical title:

Enter a word into the Book/Periodical box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing your chosen word(s) in the title.

To find articles containing special features, i.e. illustrations, portraits, or music:

Make sure the Articles containing checkboxes for the feature(s) you require are checked to indicate that they have been selected.
Click the Search button.

Your search will be limited to articles which contain one or more of the features you selected.

To list articles published between certain years or to search over a range of years:

Enter the year you wish to search from in the From box
Enter the year you wish to search to in the To box
Click the Search button.

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

Niles' Register Index

To search for all records containing a particular keyword:

Enter a word into the Keyword box.
or
choose the keyword you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing that keyword.

To search for all records in Niles' Register Index with a particular word or words in the subject entry field:

Enter a word into the Niles' subject entry box,
or
choose the subject you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all Niles' Register Index records containing the word(s) you have entered in the Niles' subject entry field.

To limit your search to records belonging to a particular publication:

You can restrict your search to one or more of the publications that have been indexed by clicking on the Periodical title checkboxes.

Periodicals Index Online

To search for all records for items by a particular author:

Enter a name into the Author box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items by that author.

To search by periodical title:

Enter a word into the Periodical title box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing your chosen word(s) in the title.

You can also search by article title in the same way as described above using the Article title field.

To restrict the scope of your search:

You can choose to search all records, or to restrict your search to book reviews, or exclude book reviews from your search. To limit your search in this way, simply click the relevant Scope radio button.

To search by periodical subject:

You can use the Periodical subject field to restrict your search to items from journals covering a particular subject or subjects.

Enter a word into the Periodical subject box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all articles from journals covering your chosen subject(s).

To search by language:

You can use the Language field to restrict your search to items in a particular language.

Enter a word into the Language box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all items in the language(s) you have chosen.

To list articles published between certain years or to search over a range of years:

Enter the year you wish to search from in the Publication date From box
Enter the year you wish to search to in the Publication date To box
Click the Search button.

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature

To search for all records in Poole's Index to Periodical Literature with a particular word or words in the subject entry field:

Enter a word into the Poole's subject entry box,
or
choose the subject you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all Poole's Index to Periodical Literature records containing the word(s) you have entered in the Poole's subject entry field.

To search for all records for items by a particular author:

Enter a name into the Author box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items by that author.

To search by periodical title:

Enter a word into the Periodical title box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing your chosen word(s) in the title.

You can also browse Poole's Index to Periodical Literature.

To list articles published between certain years or to search over a range of years:

Enter the year you wish to search from in the Year From box
Enter the year you wish to search to in the Year To box
Click the Search button.

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

Stead's Index to Periodicals

To search for all records in Stead's Index to Periodicals with a particular word or words in the subject entry field:

Enter a word into the Stead's subject entry box,
or
choose the subject you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all Stead's Index to Periodicals records containing the word(s) you have entered in the Stead's subject entry field.

To search for all records for items by a particular author:

Enter a name into the Author box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for items by that author.

To search by periodical title:

Enter a word into the Periodical title box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records containing your chosen word(s) in the title.

To find articles containing special features e.g. maps or illustrations:

Make sure the Articles containing checkboxes for the feature(s) you require are checked to indicate that they have been selected.
Click the Search button.

Your search will be limited to articles which contain one or more of the features you selected.

To list articles published between certain years or to search over a range of years:

Enter the year you wish to search from in the From box
Enter the year you wish to search to in the To box
Click the Search button.

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

Wellesley Index

To search for items written by a particular contributor:

Enter a word into the Contributor box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all items for articles written by that contributor.

To search for items written under a particular pseudonym:

Enter a word into the Pseudonym box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all items for articles written under that pseudonym.

To search for items containing a particular word or words in the article or periodical title:

Enter a word into the Article title and/or Periodical title box(es),
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all items that match your search terms.

To list records for all periodicals that contain a particular word or words in the subject:

Enter a title in the Periodical subject box,
or
choose the title you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed.

To list items published in a certain year/month or to search over a range of dates:

Enter the start year (in full) in the Publication date From box
Enter the end year (in full) in the Publication date To box
Click the arrow next to the Month From and Month To boxes and choose a month if required.
Click the Search button

Note that if you wish to search for items published in a single year/month, you should enter the same dates in the From and To boxes.

To search for a particular editor:

Enter a word into the Editor box,
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all items that match your search terms.

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers

To search for records by paper title:

Enter a title into the Paper title box,
or
choose the title you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the record(s) for your chosen title(s).

To search for parliamentary papers on a particular subject:

Enter a subject word into the Subject box,
or
choose a subject from the Select from a hierarchical subject list page
or
choose a subject from the Select from an alphabetical subject list page
Click the Search button

To list records for papers by a particular chair person or author:

Enter a Chair/author name into the Chair/author box,
or
choose the Chair/author you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed.

To search by parliamentary session:

The Session field allows you to locate all parliamentary papers published in a particular parliamentary session. To search over a range of sessions, use the Year search field.

Session is the term used for the parliamentary year, the time during which parliament is 'sitting'. This begins with the State Opening of Parliament, usually in October or November, and ends when parliament is prorogued the following year or when a general election is called.

To list parliamentary papers published during a particular parliamentary session:

Enter the year of the session (in full) in the Session box.
Click the Search button.

Alternatively, follow the Select from a list link and choose a year.

The Search Results page will be displayed.

To limit your search to certain types of parliamentary paper:

To add a paper type to the search click the appropriate Limit to checkbox so that it shows a tick. To exclude a paper type from the search click the relevant checkbox to remove the tick.

Please note that the final three types, Reports of Committees, Reports of Commissioners and Accounts and Papers do not apply to any papers following 1969, and are absent in a small number of cases for content between 1901 and 1969. This is due to changes in the way papers were classified.

House of Commons Papers
House of Commons Papers are documents resulting from the work of the House and its Committees, 'Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed'. They are a large and varied body of documents, including:

Select Committee Papers (Reports, Evidence, Minutes of Proceedings)
Returns to Addresses
Estimates and Accounts
Annual Reports and Accounts
House Returns

Papers are numbered consecutively in a series which starts with each new parliamentary session. To locate a specific House of Commons Paper, a session year should be used along with the paper number, e.g. 1878-79 (42).

Command Papers
Command Papers derive their name from the fact that they are presented to Parliament nominally 'by Command of Her Majesty'. In practice, these papers are usually presented by a Government Minister. They are produced by government departments or Royal Commissions, and convey information and decisions from the Government to Parliament.

During the eighteenth century, Command Papers were printed as appendices to the House of Commons Journal. This method was abandoned as the number of papers the Government wished to bring before the House grew. In 1833, a numbered series began:

[1] - [4222] - 1833-1868-69
[C.1] - [C.9550] - 1870-1899
[Cd 1] - [Cd 9239] - 1900-1918
[Cmd 1] - [Cmd 9889] - 1919-1956
[Cmnd 1] - [Cmnd 9927] - 1956-November 1986
[Cm 1] onwards - November 1986 to date

Bills
Bills are proposals for new laws, to be debated by Parliament. A Bill may be amended as it is reviewed by Parliament, during the three 'readings' required. If the Bill passes through each reading, and receives Royal Assent, it becomes an Act of Parliament.

Reports of Committees
Select Committees or Committees of the Whole House are appointed to investigate issues of concern. The findings of the Committee, along with the supporting evidence, are published as Reports of Committees.

Reports of Commissioners
These are produced by either:
Royal Commissions comprised of experts appointed by the Crown to investigate social problems, to conduct enquiries into events, and as a preparation for legislation.
Or
Investigating committees sponsored by a government department, tasked with reporting back to the Minister for that department.

Accounts and Papers
Accounts:
Statistical information, originating primarily from the Treasury, the Board of Trade, and the War Office/Admiralty.

Papers:

Correspondence between the Foreign, Colonial and Indian Offices and the ambassadors, ministers, colonial administrators, governors and army officials abroad.
Commercial, trade and navigation accounts.
Statistical abstracts - judicial, taxation.
Census data
Slavery and slave trade documents.
Treaties

To search by paper number:

Specific documents can be located by searching by paper number. Omit parentheses or brackets when entering numbers.

The numbering of parliamentary papers evolved over time. During the nineteenth century a system developed in which bills, House papers and Command papers were each assigned their own numbered sequence. Numbers for bills and House papers appear in parentheses, and start afresh with each new parliamentary session. Command papers number continuously, irrespective of session. These numbers appear in square brackets, with a C. prefix from 1870-1899.

To search for a parliamentary paper by number:

Enter the number into the Paper number box
Click the Search button

To list parliamentary papers published between certain years or to search over a range of sessions:

Enter the start year of the period (in full) in the Year From box
Enter the end year of the period (in full) in the Year To box
Click the Search button

Proceedings of the Old Bailey

To list records containing a particular surname and/or given name:

Enter a name into the Surname and/or Given name box(es),
or
choose the name(s) you want from the Surname/Given name select from a list pages.

For example, to limit your search to trial records where the defendant is Abigail Perfect, choose Perfect from the Surname List and Abigail from the Given name list.

Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the appropriate trial record.

You can also search for records containing a particular alias in the same way as described above using the Alias search field.

To list records that refer to a particular offence:

Enter an offence into the Offence box,
or
choose the offence(s) you want from the Offence select from a list page.

For example, to limit your search to trial records for theft cases, enter Theft in the Offence search box, or click the select from a list link and choose Theft : burglary, Theft : embezzlement, Theft : extortion etc. from the list.

Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing trial records for theft cases.

To search for records by verdict:

Enter a verdict into the Verdict box,
or
choose the verdict you want from the Verdict select from a list page.

For example, to retrieve only records for trials where the verdict was 'Not guilty: no evidence', select that verdict from the Verdict browse list.

Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the record(s) for your chosen verdict(s).

To list records for trials that resulted in a particular punishment:

Enter a punishment into the Punishment box
or
choose the punishment you want from the select from a list page.

For example, to limit your search to records for trials where the punishment was transportation, enter Transportation in the Punishment box.

Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing records for all trials where the punishment was transportation.

To list all trial records from a particular date/date range:

Enter the start month and year of the date range in the Time period From box.
Enter the end month and year of the date range in the Time period To box.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for trials between the specified dates.

You can also restrict your search to particular sections of the Proceedings of the Old Bailey (for example, front matter, supplementary material, trial accounts) by using the Search in checkboxes; simply tick the checkbox(es) next to the sections you are interested in.

U.S. Congressional Serial Set

To search for records by accession number:

Enter a number into the Accession number box,
or
choose the accession number you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the record(s) for your chosen number(s).

To search for records by title:

Enter a title into the Title box,
or
choose the title you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

To search for records by the congress and session in which the document was published:

Enter a congress and session number into the Congress and session box,
or
choose the congress and session number you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed.

To list documents published during the years in which a congressional session took place or to search over a range of sessions:

Enter the start year of the session (in full) in the Session date From box
Enter the end year of the session (in full) in the Session date To box
Click the Search button

The Search Results page will be displayed.

To search for records by Serial Set or ASP volume number:

Enter either the Serial Set or ASP volume number into the Serial Set/ASP volume box,
or
choose the Serial Set or ASP volume number you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the record(s) for your chosen number(s).

To search for records by session volume:

Enter the session volume into the Session volume box,
or
choose the volume you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the record(s) from your chosen volume(s).

To limit your search to a particular publication series:

You can restrict your search to documents belonging to a particular publication series (e.g. House Document, Senate Report, Court of Claims report, American State Papers and so on) by using the Publication series checkboxes. By default C19 Index will search all publication series; to restrict your search to only certain series, click on the checkboxes of the types you do not wish to search for to deselect them.

To list documents published on a specific date:

Enter the start day in the Day From box
Click the arrow next to the Month From box and choose a month if required
Enter the start year (in full) in the Year From box
Enter the end day in the Day To box
Click the arrow next to the Month To box and choose a month if required
Enter the end year (in full) in the Year To box
Click the Search button

Note that if you wish to search for documents published on a specific date, you should enter the same date in the From and To boxes.

To limit your search to articles containing certain features:

You can restrict your search to documents containing particular features, for example, maps or illustrations, by clicking the appropriate Limit to documents containing checkboxes.

To search for documents on a particular subject:

Enter a subject word into the Document subject box,
or
choose the subject you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing record(s) about your chosen subject(s).

To search for documents that mention a particular petitioner or witness:

Enter a name into the Petitioner/witness box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing the records that mention your chosen petitioner or witness.

Archive Finder

To search for all collection or repository names containing a particular word or words:

Enter a word into the Collection name or Repository name box(es),
or
choose the word(s) you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for collections/repositories where the word(s) you have chosen appear in the Collection name/Repository name fields.

To search for all collections/repositories in a particular city or state:

Enter a city/state into the City or State box(es),
or
choose the city/state you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for collections/repositories in that city/state.

To search by fiche number/NUCMC number:

The fiche number can be used to locate a specific NIDS fiche.

The NUCMC number is the record number assigned by cataloguers from the Library of Congress for items appearing in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections.

To search by fiche number/NUCMC number:

Enter a number into the Fiche number or NUCMC number box(es),
or
choose the number you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records for the chosen number.

You can also limit your search to NIDS records only, NUCMC records only, or submitted records only by clicking the relevant radio button in the Limit to section. By default, C19 Index will search all records.

To search by index terms:

Enter a term into the Index terms box,
or
choose the index term you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

The Search Results page will be displayed, listing all records indexed under your chosen term.

To restrict the scope of your search:

You can choose to search all records, or to restrict your search to NIDS records, NUCMC records, or submitted records. To limit your search in this way, simply click the relevant Limit to radio button.

Palmer's Index to The Times

Main heading

You can use the Main heading field to search for any word or phrase contained in the main heading of an entry.

To search the Palmer's Index to The Times collection by main heading:

Type a word or words from the title into the Main heading search box,
or
choose the words you want from the Select from a list page, e.g. Colonial Administration.
Click the Search button.

Title

To search the Palmer's Index to The Times collection by title:

Type a word or words from the title into the Title search box,
or
choose the words you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

Page

You can search for references to articles appearing on a particular page.

To search the Palmer's Index to The Times collection by page number:

Type your page numbers and/or letters into the Page search box,
or
choose the numbers/letters you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

Select decade(s)/Date range

You can use the Select decade(s) field for quick date searches restricted to one or more decades. Choose the decade you wish to limit your search to by clicking it with the mouse, or, to select more than one decade, click to select the first one, then hold down the CTRL key and click the other entries you wish to select.

You can use the Date range field to restrict searches to a specific date or date range.

To search by date range:

Enter the start year in the Year From box
Click the arrow next to the Month From drop-down lost and select the month you wish to search from from the list
Enter the start day in the Day From box
Enter the end year in the Year To box
Click the arrow next to the Month To drop-down lost and select the month you wish to search from from the list
Enter the end day in the Day To box
Click the Search button.

Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism

Keyword

You can use the Keyword field to search for any word or phrase anywhere in an entry.

To search the Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism by keyword:

Type a word or words into the Keyword search box,
or
choose the words you want from the Select from a list page, e.g. circulation, coverage, readership.
Click the Search button.

Headword/title

You can use the Headword/title field to search for any word or phrase contained in the title of an entry.

To search the Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism by title:

Type a word or words from the title into the Headword/title search box,
or
choose the words you want from the Select from a list page, e.g. Ecclesiastical Gazette.
Click the Search button.

Themes

To search Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism by thematic index term:

Type a word or words from the title into the Themes search box,
or
choose the words you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

Name

You can use the Name field to search the Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism for publisher/personal names, including entries in the Name Index.

To search the Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism by name:

Enter a name into the Name box,
or
choose the name you want from the Select from a list page.
Click the Search button.

How can I change the order in which my results are sorted?

If you are searching an individual collection in C19 Index, you can choose the order in which records are sorted in the Search Results by using the Sort results drop-down list; click the arrow to the right of the box and choose the relevant option from the list that appears. The following sort options are available:

Nineteenth Century Short Title Catalogue

Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by title
Alphabetically by author
Relevance

The Nineteenth Century microfiche project

Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by title
Alphabetically by author
Relevance

American Periodicals Series

Alphabetically by periodical title
Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by author
Relevance

British Periodicals

Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by periodical title
Alphabetically by author
Relevance

Niles' Register Index

Alphabetically by periodical title
Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Relevance

Periodicals Index Online

Alphabetically by periodical title
Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Relevance

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature

Alphabetically by periodical title
Alphabetically by author
Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Relevance

Stead's Index to Periodicals

Alphabetically by periodical title (default)
Alphabetically by author
Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Relevance
Subject

Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals, 1824-1900

Alphabetically by periodical title
Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by author
Relevance

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers

Chronologically by earliest session
Chronologically by most recent session
Alphabetically by title
Relevance

Proceedings of the Old Bailey

Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by title
Relevance

U.S. Congressional Serial Set

Chronologically by earliest session
Chronologically by most recent session
Alphabetically by title
Relevance

Archive Finder

Alphabetically by collection name
Alphabetically by repository name
Chronologically by collection dates
Relevance

Palmer's Index to The Times

Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by title
Relevance

Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism

Alphabetically by title
Relevance

Cotgreave's Index

Alphabetically by article/periodical title (default)
Chronologically by earliest date
Chronologically by most recent date
Alphabetically by author
Alphabetically by subject
Relevance

How does relevancy ranking work?

Relevance ranking works according to where the search terms entered in the Keyword search field are found within a record. It is only the terms in the Keyword search field that are used to determine relevance, so if this field is left empty then your results are sorted in chronological order.

How relevant a record is depends on several factors:

The field in which the search term is found.
Records consist of different fields, and these fields have different weights for calculating relevance scores. For example, search terms found in the Subject field are considered the most relevant, those found in the Title field less so, and search terms found elsewhere in a record the least relevant.
The frequency and proximity of the hits.
If a search term occurs multiple times, or the different elements of a search term are near to one another or are adjacent (forming a phrase) then this also makes a record more relevant.
The rarity of the search term.
An occurrence of a rare word in a search term (determined by the number of occurrences within the whole database) counts for more than the occurrence of a common word. For example, the word "sepoy" counts for more than the common word "indian".

Note that when you choose to sort your results by relevance we only return the top 1000 records.

The following fields are weighted for relevance in the individual index searches:

Books:

Nineteenth Century Short Title Catalogue, The Nineteenth Century microfiche project:

Subject, then Title, then Author.

Periodicals:

American Periodicals Series, British Periodicals, Wellesley Index, Periodicals Index Online:

Article title, then Author.

Official Publications:

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers:

Subject term, then Title.

U.S. Congressional Serial Set:

Document Subject term, then Title.

Proceedings of the Old Bailey:

Victim and Defendant.

Newspapers:

Palmer's Index to The Times:

Main heading.

Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism:

Title.

How can I change the number of results displayed per page?

If you are searching an individual collection in C19 Index, you can choose whether to display 20 or 50 entries on the Search Results using the Display drop-down list; by default C19 Index displays 20 records per page but you can change this to 50 by clicking the arrow next to the Display field and choosing 50 results per page from the drop-down list that appears.

How can I bookmark the Search page?

Click the Durable URL link. A panel will open containing the durable URL for the page. You can then copy and paste the link into your documents and email, or paste it into a new browser address bar to add it to your bookmarks.

Examples and tips

Multiple words in search terms

If you enter multiple words into a search field, C19 Index will by default treat them as though they are connected with the Boolean operator AND, so that indian mutiny sepoy is processed as indian AND mutiny AND sepoy. You can override this using boolean operators or quotation marks. For example:

if you wish to search for phrases, the words in quotation marks, for example "indian mutiny" sepoy will retrieve all records for items that contain both the phrase 'indian mutiny' AND the word 'sepoy'.
indian mutiny or sepoy will retrieve all records that contain the words 'indian' AND the word 'mutiny' OR the word 'sepoy'
indian or mutiny or sepoy will retrieve all records that contain the word indian OR the word mutiny OR the word sepoy.

TIP: All searches are case-insensitive, so you don't have to know whether a word should be capitalized or not. For example, there is no difference between london, London or LonDon.

How do I search all indexes for all records from books and newspapers published between 1850 and 1900 containing the word 'technology' in the title?

Select the All Indexes search page by clicking the link on the right-hand of the page.
Click the Official Publications and Periodicals checkboxes to exclude those sources from your search and restrict it to books and newspapers only.
Type the word 'technology' into the Title keyword box.
Type '1850' Year From box, and '1900' into the Year To box.
Click Search.

How do I search Archive Finder for all submitted records containing the words 'Oliver Cromwell' in the collection name?

Select the Archive Finder search page by clicking the link on the right-hand of the page.
Type 'oliver cromwell' into the Collection name field.
Click the 'Submitted records' Limit to option.
Click Search.

How do I search Archive Finder for all records for collections in the Bancroft Library at the University of California that contain the word 'mining' in the collection name?

Select the Archive Finder search page by clicking the link on the right-hand of the page.
Type 'mining' into the Collection name field.
Type 'bancroft library' into the Repository name field.
Click Search.