Searching the Research Cooperative

The following methods can be used to search inside the Research Cooperative.

1. Overall (site-wide) search, using the search box at top right, above the title of every page.

2. Search the list of all members (see 'Members' or 'Search' in the menu above). While viewing the list, we can use a general search box that scans all fields across all member profiles,  and we can switch the list arrangement between recently added (the default), alphabetical, or random.

The 'Advanced search' panel is very useful for searching one or more fields across all the profiles of our members. For example, we can search for all members in India (Location) who have mentioned Ethnobotany (Working topics).

We can also go to the bottom of the Members page to jump between screen pages within the list (there are too many members to show them all in one screen page). See the numbered boxes at the bottom left. Click on any number to view different pages.

3. Search the list of all forums (see tab under 'Search', above). Here we can search all messages across all the forum categories, while using the 'Categories' option in the 'View selection' box at right. By changing the View selection to 'Messages' we can see a list of all messages, and then choose to arrange them according to 'Latest activity', 'Newest messages' or 'Most popular'.

If we choose to view just one forum in the list (by clicking on the forum title), then we can also use a 'Sort by' box at right to change the order of the messages listed inside the forum of interest. The sorting choices are: 'Latest activity', 'Newest messages', and 'Most popular'.

4. Search the Notes (see main menu above). The notes cover various subjects related to writing and publishing and operation of our website. In the main page for Notes you can view the 'Notes home' where an index of selected notes is shown, or 'All notes', or 'Featured notes'. In the page for 'All notes', we can choose to sort them alphabetically, by the 'most recently added' option, or by the 'most recently updated' option. Because many notes have been written, they cannot be listed in one screen page. Go to the bottom of the page to jump between screen pages within the list (see the numbered boxes at the bottom left).

5. Search the list of all 'Groups' (see main menu above). Here we can choose to see either 'All groups', or just 'My groups' (the particular groups that we have individually joined). When 'All groups' are shown, these can be sorted using a 'Sort by' box at right. The sorting choices are 'Most active', 'Latest activity', 'Most members', and 'Latest' (i.e. most recently added).

6. Search all messages sent by a particular member (see member profile page). Offers or requests are also identified here as 'messages', and all messages sent by a member are listed under a link on the member's personal profile page. These messages can be searched by keyword, or can be sorted using a drop-down menu.