How to do a complex search on the database

This guide will help you to use the eSAY database complex search pages.

The advanced search is quite complicated to use and it might help you if you have a copy of the dataset map beside you when you use the query engine.

Click here to view a printable copy of the dataset map (PDF)

• The advanced search is structured around the six sections of the dataset – Person Information, Housing, Current Services and Opportunities, Health, Needs Record and Finance. You will start with a screen that has most of the information in the Person Information section.

• On the first screen, you should select the parts that you want to search on and then press count.

• You will notice that some items have drop down lists and some have tick boxes. Where there is a drop down list, you can only select one thing from the list. Where there are tick boxes, you can search on as many things as you want.

• On any page you can search on as many of the items as you want, or none at all.
• If you do not want to search on any of the things on the first page, just press count to go to the next stage.
• You will go to a page that gives you the number of people who match the criteria that you have searched on.

• This page will also give you the option of going in to another section of the dataset to search on more things or to start over again.

• If your search was too narrow (if the number of matches was too small) you will get a message saying that the database cannot answer your question.

Correcting mistakes or starting a new search

• If you make a mistake you can go back by pressing the back button internet explorer.

• If you want to start a completely new search then you can click the “Start Again” button at the bottom of the page.