User Guide: Search, Filters & Advanced Queries

This guide explains how to make the most of the search features available in CADIAL. It is written in plain English, avoiding technical jargon wherever possible, while still showing how to refine queries, apply filters, and interpret results. Whether you are a first-time user or an experienced researcher, the sections below provide practical steps to locate and use documents effectively.

Getting Started

The search bar is the central tool for finding documents. It accepts words, phrases, and more complex instructions. Every query you enter is matched against the text of documents, their metadata, and, where available, standardized concepts.

You can begin with a single keyword, such as environment or transport, and refine later with filters or advanced operators. The system is designed so that no search is wasted: even a very broad query will return results, which you can then narrow.

Simple Search

A simple search is the fastest way to get results:

  • Type one or more words into the search bar.
  • Press Enter or click Search.
  • Results are ranked by relevance, not just by date.

For example, typing public health will return documents where those words appear, with priority to those where the phrase is frequent or significant.

Remember: the search does not distinguish between singular and plural forms. Searching policy will also find policies.

Using Eurovoc Concepts

CADIAL integrates Eurovoc, a multilingual thesaurus maintained at the European level. Eurovoc provides a controlled vocabulary of concepts and their relations.

When you search, the system can map your words to Eurovoc concepts. This helps in two ways:

  • Synonyms: If you type waste management, the system may also retrieve documents indexed under refuse disposal.
  • Multilingual reach: Searching in one language can return documents tagged with the same concept in other languages.

You will often see Eurovoc terms displayed as suggested refinements in the results page. Selecting a concept narrows the search to documents officially associated with it, ensuring precision.

Filters

Filters allow you to restrict results without changing the main query. They appear as options on the results page.

Date

  • You may limit results to a year, a range of years, or to the most recent items.
  • Example: if researching environmental directives from the 1990s, apply a custom range from 1990 to 1999.

Authority

  • Documents are often issued by a specific authority (e.g., Parliament, Ministry, Court).
  • Use the authority filter to isolate items from a particular body.

Document Type

  • Common types include legislation, judgments, reports, and parliamentary questions.
  • Filtering by type is useful when you need only legally binding texts, or only analytical documents.

Advanced Queries

For more control, you can use query operators expressed in words rather than symbols.

Phrases

  • To search for an exact phrase, put words together in quotation marks.
  • Example: “climate neutrality” finds only documents with that precise wording.

Combining Terms (AND / OR)

  • AND: Requires both words.
    • energy AND security retrieves documents containing both terms.
  • OR: Accepts either word.
    • rail OR road finds documents mentioning at least one of them.

Excluding Terms

  • Use NOT to exclude.
  • Example: education NOT higher returns documents about education in general but leaves out higher education.

These operators can be combined to create powerful queries, such as:
“renewable energy” AND transport NOT aviation.

Result Page & Document View

The results page lists documents matching your query, usually with:

  • A title
  • Snippet of relevant text
  • Date and authority
  • Document type

Clicking a title opens the document view, which shows:

  • Full text or summary
  • Metadata (date, issuing authority, type, Eurovoc concepts)
  • Navigation options to move to previous or next result

You can always return to the search results without losing your place.

Saving & Citing Records

For long projects, it is useful to keep track of consulted documents.

  • Saving: Most browsers allow you to bookmark result pages or copy URLs. CADIAL ensures stable identifiers so that a link will remain valid.
  • Plain-text referencing: To cite a record in plain text, include:
    • Document title
    • Authority
    • Date
    • Identifier (if available)

Example format:
Directive on Renewable Energy, European Parliament and Council, 11 December 2018, 2018/2001/EU.

Accessibility Tips

CADIAL is designed with accessibility in mind:

  • Keyboard navigation: All major functions can be reached without a mouse.
  • Readable text: Clear fonts and strong contrast improve legibility.
  • Screen readers: Structural markup allows screen readers to announce headings, lists, and document sections properly.
  • Language consistency: Eurovoc concepts help users working across multiple languages by providing standard references.

If you encounter barriers, remember that you can adjust browser settings (zoom, contrast, text-to-speech) for additional support.

Glossary

Viewability – How clearly and easily a document can be read in the system.

Authority – The body that issued a document.

Concept – A standardized idea or theme used for indexing.

Date filter – Restriction of results to certain time periods.

Document type – Classification such as law, judgment, or report.

Eurovoc – A multilingual thesaurus of concepts used for indexing.

Filter – A restriction applied to narrow search results.

Phrase search – Looking for words in exact order.

Query – The instruction you type into the search bar.

Result page – The list of documents matching a query.

Snippet – A short extract showing where search terms appear.

Thesaurus – A structured list of terms and their relationships.