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Searches without operators – In multiple term queries, when search terms are not connected by operators (and, or, not, etc.), the search engine retrieves documents containing all search terms.

Accents – The search engine is insensitive to accents, so typing protégé yields the same results as protege.

Term variations – When you perform a full text search, the search engine also returns query terms and their usual variations (e.g., sentence, sentences, sentenced).

You can disable this feature by placing your terms within parentheses, preceded by EXACT, for example: EXACT(sentenced).

If you are searching for an exact phrase without modifications and in that word order, combine the EXACT() operator with the "" operator. For example, a full text search for EXACT("this exact phrase") will return all documents that contain the precise expression "this exact phrase".

Uppercase/lowercase – You can type search terms in uppercase or lowercase without having any effect on the results.

Generic characters – A dash, an apostrophe or parentheses are considered generic characters. Typing seat-belt allows you to find seat belt as well as seat-belt. When a special character does not connect two words, it is simply ignored, for example $500 is treated as 500. Also, typing 3.4(2)(b) searches for 3.4(2)b and similar variations.

Punctuation in citations – Typing [2005] 2 S.C.R. 669 is equivalent to typing 2005 2 SCR 669, just as typing Sup Ct. N.Y. Co. is the same as Sup Ct NY Co. The dot is however taken into account by the search engine when used in a sequence of digits, for example, in 47.2.

Operators – Summary table
Operators	Description	Examples
Search without operators	Retrieves documents that contain all the terms.	privacy access housing unit
" "	Groups words to form a phrase.	"R. v. Douglas"
*	Replaces zero, one or more characters at the end of a word.	constitu*
EXACT(), exact()	Disables searches of variations of the search term.	exact(reviewable transaction)
OR, or	Retrieves documents containing either of the two terms.	city or municipality
/s	Retrieves documents containing both terms in the same sentence.	tax /s income
/p	Retrieves documents containing both terms in the same paragraph.	levy /p probate
/n	Retrieves documents containing the two terms placed within n terms of one another.	letter /5 credit
NOT, –	Retrieves only documents that do not contain the term that follows.	custody NOT child custody -child
AND, and	Retrieves documents that contain all the terms.	permit and hunting
( )	Gives priority to an operator: exact, or, /n, /s, /p, NOT, and.	(contract /2 sale) OR seller