Journal index

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  • #621928

    Is there an index for the journals as the search function does not seem to work on the journal page

    #621964
    Andy Wilson
    Keymaster

    Hi Owen,
    There is an index in the February Journal for each year, but I am not sure about an overall index. Perhaps someone else will chip in if there is one?
    Another way you can search is to use the magnifying glass at the far right of the menu bar. This searches the whole website, including the Journals.
    I will add fixing the Journal search to the to do list for the website developer. I am sure it used to work but I can see it does nothing now.
    Best wishes,
    Andy

    #621969
    Callum Potter
    Keymaster

    I think the Journal search is working, it’s just difficult to be specific enough about what you are looking for.

    You can search on a phrase in quotes which helps like “ngc 5194” but if you don’t put it in quotes it will match both ngc or 5194.

    And if you search on something common like “patrick moore” you will get a lot of hits.

    Callum

    #621970
    Bill Barton
    Participant

    There was a printed index issued at our centenary in 1990. It covered volumes 51 to 100.

    An index to volumes 1 to 50 was issued (in 1963!), but the print run was very short.

    #621971
    Bill Barton
    Participant

    Callum,

    Thanks for the tip about using quotation marks, I’ll have to try it out.

    #621972
    Andy Wilson
    Keymaster

    Interesting. I am seeing some weird and inconsistent behaviour. Unless there is a simple answer I am missing, I suggest me and Callum take this offline.
    When I try the Journal search function on “patrick moore” I get no hits (first screenshot), same whether I am logged in or not.
    I tried a search on “M29” (I had left the quotation marks as I did it after my Patrick Moore search). First time I got some hits (2nd screenshot). Though this was simply the Journal, no indication of where in the Journal. So I tried a search on “Moore”, no luck. Then did a fresh search on “M29” and this second time nothing (3rd screenshot). I tried removing the quotes and no change.
    I wonder if there is more than one place where you can search the Journal and the one I tried is not working, or at least not consistently, and the one Callum tried is working.
    I went to Publications -> Journal then typed in the “Search Journals” box.
    Andy

    • This reply was modified 8 months, 1 week ago by Andy Wilson.
    #621978
    Callum Potter
    Keymaster

    Andy – yes, i used exactly the same place. Not sure what is going on there…

    I’ll try some more tests.

    Callum

    #621979
    Andy Wilson
    Keymaster

    I now think this was a couple of mistakes I made in my searches, so the search is working as expected.
    In the search tests I did yesterday, I did not think it was finding anything. I did not take screenshots but it is possible the search returned the same page with the Journals and no detailed results. I may have thought this meant it was not working, when this meant it was finding the text in each of those Journals.
    When I did the test this morning, I copied the search term from Callum’s post and pasted it into the search. Then tried other searches with the quotes in place.
    Callum has done some investigation, and my copy and paste put forward and back quotes. This stopped the searches from working.
    Apologies for wasting Callum’s time as I think it is working as expected.
    Andy

    #621981

    I can’t help with this discussion on electronic searching, but I can add that we still have copies of the 1940-1990 journal index available (mentioned above by Bill Barton) if any member needs a copy. If there is no copy for sale at the online Shop, just contact me at the email address printed in the inside back cover of the latest Journal if you are interested.

    The current volumes of the Journal have an annual index printed in the middle pages of the February issue of the following year. Before the early 1960s the index was always part of the last number of the same volume.

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