For a simple search, just enter a few of your search terms into the box provided and hit the "enter" key. This will throw up a list of relevant search results. These results are displayed with stars next to them. The more stars, the greater the number of times your term features in the document.

To refine your search, use Advanced Search.

Advanced Search – with all of the words

Automatic "AND" search
With this option you get results containing all your search terms. No need to put "AND" between them. To refine your search, simply enter more terms.

Exact phrase
Using this function you get only those results which match your query exactly. No need for quotation marks. All queries entered using this function are enclosed in quotation marks and are displayed in all texts containing this phrase.

Advanced Search – with at least one of the words

Automatic "OR" search
An "OR" search is performed on all the search terms entered. The more frequently these terms are found, the higher they are ranked in the list of results. No need to put "OR" between your search terms. In order to refine your search you should choose clear and specific search terms.

Advanced Search – without the words

Automatic "NOT" or "WITHOUT"search
This search option allows you to exclude one or more terms from the search.

Stop words
The search engine ignores common words, known as stop words, which slow down your search significantly without improving the results. Examples of stop words are: and ...........but also single letters. If you want to include a stop word in your search, use the "+" sign. Be sure to include a space before the "+" sign. You can also use the "+" sign to search for phrases.

Frequently asked questions about searching

Is searching case-sensitive?
No. The search engine finds results in both upper and lower case. A search for "bmvit" or "BMVIT" produces the same results.

Must I enter umlauts and special characters exactly as they are?
Vowels with an umlaut (ä, ü, ö) and special characters such as "ß" must be entered correctly, otherwise search results will vary.

Must I enter both parts of a compound word?
Yes. The search engine does not break down compound words into their separate parts.

Must I enter different spellings separately?
Yes. The search engine does not search for alternatives ("Strasse" as well as "Straße"). In this case it is a good idea to enter all the variants in your search.

I'm not getting any hits for my search term.
Check you have spelled it correctly. In addition to using Advanced Search, you can also look at the Site Map for pointers to information on the subject you are interested in.