These search 'trouble-shooting FAQs' are also found in the User Guide document, 'Trouble-shooting guide for search settings'.

This document is automatically added to the help page for all systems since v3.6,so it is a good idea to point users at this page before checking out their query in detail. Most of the errors are quite similar and easy for the user to solve themselves if they are familiar with their publications.

• The publication is not (or not yet) listed in the online databases that are activated for your searches.

• The publication has already been downloaded, and accidentally put in your ‘declined’ area.

• The publication has not been found because its details differ from the others that have been found.
  
  This may  be because the details have been submitted differently for publication, or because of an error in the data held in the online database (e.g. a spelling mistake in your name, or an initial left out).
  
  Or the publication’s ‘address’ data may be for a collaborator’s institution (a common issue for users who have address search terms added because they have a common last name - see chapter 2).

• Check your ‘declined’ publications list.

• Check that the publication is available, and that the databases in which it appears are switched on for your records.

• Check the details of the publication, as they appear on the database web interface.

• Compare carefully between these details and your search settings.

• Add any new details to your search settings (e.g. add a new name variant, to match how you are listed on the publication).

• The publications are not (or not yet) listed on the online databases.

• The publications have already been downloaded, and accidentally put in your ‘declined’ area.

• The publications have not been found because they differ from the others.
  
  This is most likely because of a different name variant you sometimes use, or because a group of your papers are listed against a collaborator’s institution (a common issue for users who have address search terms added because they have a common last name - see chapter 2)

• Check your ‘declined’ publications list.

• Check the details of a sample of the missing publications, as they appear on the database web services.

• Compare carefully between these details and your search settings to identify any common differences between this group of publications and your search settings.

• Add any new details to your search settings (e.g. add a new name variant, to match how you are listed on the publications).

• Searching for the database has been switched off.

• The ‘advanced search’ option has been accidentally activated, and an empty search string is being submitted.

• The ‘advanced search’ option has been activated and an incorrect search string has been added.

• Your search settings contain ‘special’ characters that the database cannot process (this is only possible for the Web of Science database)

• Go to your search settings page, and make sure the the box ‘Search this source’ is checked in the header bar for the database.

• Check that the ‘advanced search’ option has not been selected by accident (this radio button is also found in the header bar for the database).

• If the advanced search is intended to be used, check the syntax of the search string, using the web service for the database to make sure it brings back appropriate results.

• Check your ‘common search terms’ for special characters (letters with accents, for example) that Web of Science cannot process. If these are present, you will need to separate Web of Science from the common search terms and replace these search terms with ones that use plain letters only.

• Searching is switched off. This may have occurred when your record was first created. Your institution will usually switch on the databases for users defined as ‘academic staff’ and therefore likely to publish. If you have a dual role within your institution, which is not easily classified, you may need to activate the databases in your records by hand.

• Publications have been found in the past, but have all been placed in the ‘declined’ area by mistake.

• Your search terms are being submitted but are so narrow that they do not bring back any publications.

• Your search terms are so wide, they bring back too many publications, triggering a fail-safe within the system.

• Other errors may have occurred for your search terms.

• Go to your search settings page, and make sure the the box ‘Search this source’ is checked in the header bar for each database.

• Check your ‘declined’ publications list.

• Check your common search terms and make sure you have suitable name variants entered.

• If there is an ‘address’ term, check this is relevant to your publication history and add/remove institution name and address terms as appropriate (for example, you may be new to your current institution and need to add the name of your previous workplace instead).

• If there are keywords, consider removing these completely. These can make the search very narrow, since each category of search term is added using the ‘AND’ logic operator.

• If there are only name variants, check the top of your ‘search settings’ page to see if an error is being reported due to too many results being obtained.

• If a database reports finding more than 2,000 results for a search, the system will operate a fail-safe and not download all these details. You should therefore add ‘address’ terms or keywords to narrow your search to find a smaller number of publciations.

• If an error has occured for any other reason, this will also be reported at the top of your search settings screen. If you cannot resolve the issue listed in the error, you should contact your institution’s support staff, via the link on the ‘help’ page within Symplectic Elements, quoting the error message in your email.

Note: at the top of your search settings screen,  database errors are reported in this form (with a pink background):

“The last automated searches took place on 15 Jun 2010 at 12:51. The following issues occured:
Web of Science: Too many search results (6026).”