• key word or phrase entered by the user
• use this type of search when looking for specific information
• AltaVista also has a Canadian site in addition to its International site:
  http://www.altavista.ca/
  http://www.altavista.com/
  • demo search of BC Cancer Agency:
    essiac +bcca

Boolean searches (only for the advanced search option)

• and - breast AND cancer
• or - breast OR prostate
• not - colon AND NOT rectum

Other refinements

• phrase - "bc cancer agency"
• include - "bc cancer" +news
• exclude - "bc cancer" -radiation
• near - treatment NEAR options
• wildcard - biops* (for biopsy or biopsies)
• language - e.g., search only for English language documents
• translate - AltaVista can provide crude but usable translations of European languages
• help - remember to visit the Help section to learn more about a search engine