5. Advanced Queries

📅 Updated: Nov 12, 2025 ⏱️ Read time: 8 min 🏷️ Search & Discovery

Master the full power of Aevum's semantic engine. Learn to combine boolean logic, field targeting, temporal filters, and cross-domain linking to retrieve highly specific, research-grade results.

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Boolean Logic & Operators

Aevum supports standard boolean operators to refine result sets. Combine terms using AND, OR, and NOT (or -) to narrow or expand matches.

aevum-query

// Exact match with AND
"quantum entanglement" AND author:"Einstein" AND era:1900s

// Exclude specific domains
topic:renewable energy NOT domain:politics NOT type:opinion

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Pro Tip Wrap phrases in double quotes for exact matching. The engine automatically tokenizes unquoted terms, but quotes guarantee structural preservation.

Field-Targeted Searches

Direct your query to specific metadata dimensions. Field targeting dramatically reduces noise by constraining the search vector.

aevum-query

// Target specific authors or institutions
contributor:"Dr. S. Nakamura" OR institution:"CERN"

// Filter by content type and language
type:peer-reviewed AND lang:en AND status:verified

Supported fields include: author, contributor, topic, domain, era, type, lang, status, source, and institution.

Natural Language & Semantic Queries

Aevum's neural ranker understands intent. You can write queries as conversational questions or descriptive statements, and the system will map them to relevant knowledge nodes.

aevum-query

// Conversational query (automatically parsed)
How did the printing press influence scientific communication in 16th century Europe?

// Descriptive semantic search
Compare classical conditioning vs operant conditioning in behavioral psychology

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Semantic Limits Natural language queries are powerful but less deterministic. For reproducible research workflows, combine NL with explicit field filters.

Temporal & Era Filtering

Restrict results to specific historical periods, publication windows, or event timelines. Supports ISO dates, relative ranges, and named eras.

aevum-query

// Date ranges
after:2015-01-01 AND before:2020-12-31

// Named historical eras
era:renaissance OR era:enlightenment

// Relative window
last:6m AND topic:mRNA vaccines

Cross-Disciplinary Linking

Discover intersections between fields using relationship operators. Aevum's knowledge graph exposes hidden connections across domains.

aevum-query

// Find intersections
link(cognitive science, computer science) AND after:2010

// Multi-domain constraint
domain:[physics, mathematics, philosophy] AND concept:determinism

Use link(A, B) to retrieve nodes explicitly connecting two concepts. For broader exploration, use the domain:[] array syntax.

Syntax Reference Table

Operator	Syntax	Description
`AND`	`A AND B`	Intersection. Returns items matching both.
`OR`	`A OR B`	Union. Returns items matching either.
`NOT`	`A NOT B` or `A -B`	Exclusion. Removes matching items.
`""`	`"exact phrase"`	Exact match. Preserves word order.
`field:`	`topic:climate`	Targets specific metadata dimension.
`link()`	`link(A, B)`	Finds nodes connecting two concepts.
`[]`	`domain:[x, y]`	Array matching. Matches any listed value.

Best Practices & Tips

Combine semantic queries with explicit field filters for reproducible results.
Use status:verified when conducting academic or professional research.
Leverage last:Nm or last:Ny to track emerging topics without date arithmetic.
Save complex queries as templates via the dashboard for team collaboration.
Cross-disciplinary searches perform best when concepts share at least one ontological tag.

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