Help: Guide to Building Effective Searches

This article provides tips on how to conduct searches using the Keyword field on the searchable index pages and the main Search field at the top of each page of the website.

In the following tips, the brackets [ ] are used to indicate that the words inside the brackets are the search query. Do not include the brackets when you type a search query. 

Basic Search Tips 

1. This search engine does not recognize Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT, etc.). Do not use these operators in your search query. They will not yield the expected results.


2. The search function interprets a space between words as OR, not AND.

  • Example: The search query [ ethics pledge ] will return every document that contains either the word “ethics” or the word “pledge.”

3. To search for all content that contains two or more terms, place a plus sign ( + ) before each desired search term. You must place a space between each term and the + sign for the next term.

  • Example: The search query [ +Presidentially +appointed +Senate +confirmed ] will return every document that contains these terms, whether or not they appear in this order in the document.

4. To find all content that contains an exact phrase, place the phrase in quotation marks.

  • Example: The search query [ “senior employee” ] will return every document that contains these exact words in this exact order.

5. To search for all content that contains a specific citation, place the citation in quotation marks. Do not include any periods or section (§) symbols. Do include parentheses, if the citation contains them.

  • Example: The search query [ “18 USC 207(c)” ] will return all documents that contain the citation “18 U.S.C. § 207(c).”

NOTE: If an opinion uses the phrase “section 207(c) of Title 18,” this opinion will not show up in the search results.


6. The search function always ignores capitalization.

  • Example a: The search queries [ cusick ], [ “cusick” ], [ Cusick ], and [ “Cusick” ] will yield the same results.
  • Example b: The search queries [ 5 cfr part 2635 ], [ “5 cfr part 2635” ], [ 5 CFR Part 2635 ], and [ “5 CFR Part 2635” ] will yield the same results.

 

Searching the OGE Legal Advisories 

7. If you want to access a particular advisory and you know the citation of the advisory, type the citation in the keyword search field on the Legal Advisories page using the formats shown in the examples below:

  • Example a: To access advisory opinion 98x2, type [ 98x2 ]
    • No quotation marks
    • No spaces between the characters
    • Does not matter whether the letter “x” is capitalized or not
  • Example b: To access DAEOgram DO-09-004, type [ DO-09-004 ]
    • No quotation marks
    • No spaces between the characters
    • Must use hyphens between the components of the citation, as shown in the example
    • Does not matter whether the letters “DO” are capitalized or not
  • Example c: To access Legal Advisory LA-11-07, type [ LA-11-07 ]
    • No quotation marks
    • No spaces between the characters
    • Must use hyphens between the components of the citation, as shown in the example
    • Does not matter whether the letters “LA” are capitalized or not

8. If you want to know if a particular legal advisory has been cited by other legal advisories, follow these examples when typing the search query:

  • Example a: For the DAEOgrams and Legal Advisories with the citation format DO-07-047 and LA-11-02, you may type the citation with or without quotation marks.  Both [ “DO-07-047” ] and [ DO-07-047 ] will yield not only the opinion with this citation but also an opinion from 2009 that cites DO-07-047.
  • Example b: For the advisory opinions with the citation format 98x2, you must now put spaces between the characters as shown in the following example: [ “98 x 2” ]. This search query will yield not only the opinion with this citation but also several opinions that cite this opinion. Remember – it does not matter whether you capitalize the letter “x.”
    • Why do you have to include the spaces? Within the text of its past opinions, OGE usually placed spaces between the characters. When you place characters or words between quotation marks in the keyword search field, the search engine looks for that exact configuration of characters or words, spaces included.
    • NOTE: To increase the probability that you find all of the opinions that cite a particular opinion, you should also run a search inquiry with the quotation marks and without the spaces between the characters: [ “98x2” ]. Because there may be some opinions in which OGE omitted the spaces from the citation, this second search will yield those opinions, if any.

9. If a keyword search does not produce the results that you expected, try the dropdown menus of the Topics, Subtopics, Citation, and Focus fields. The terms in these fields encompass the concepts associated with the Federal ethics laws and regulations. The relevant concepts have been associated with each opinion. For example, if you are looking for legal advisories that discuss gift issues involving Government contractors, you would choose “Gifts & Payments” from the Topics menu and “Gifts from Outside Sources” from the Subtopics menu. All opinions that have been “tagged” with these concepts will appear in the search results.


10. These tips for creating search queries in the Legal Advisories section will also work in the main Search field located at the top of each page. By using the main Search field for the website, you will generate a list of all pages on the website that use your search terms. This may be particularly helpful, for example, if you are not sure whether OGE re-classified a DAEOgram as a Legal Advisory, a Program Management Advisory, or an Education Advisory.