Archives Catalog

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	Simple search The Simple search is the default on the Search page. It allows to perform free text searches by means of one entry field only. 1. You will find all available databases above Search entry field. All Archive Materials searches everything in the IMF Archives. Archives Descriptions and Records searches the Departmental Archives and Central Files. Executive Board Documents Only searches only the subset of documents created by the Executive Board. By default, you search All Archive Materials. You can choose the database by deselecting or selecting checkboxes as needed. 2. Type a word or name in the Search entry field. You may also provide just a partial word, or multiple words at once. When searching for multiple words separate them with a space and expect to find them all in a result. Advanced search Advanced search allows to perform free text searches across multiple fields using the Combined Field Search. It allows you to search for more than one word or name simultaneously and to indicate in which fields the word or name should occur. 1. Click the Collection drop-down list to open it. There are three options. All Archive Materials searches everything in the IMF Archives. Archives Descriptions and Records searches the Departmental Archives and Central Files. Executive Board Documents Only searches only the subset of documents created by the Executive Board. 2. Type the word or name in the relevant entry field. You may also provide just a partial word or leave the field empty. Value must be provided in only one of the fields to start the search. Note that if you were to submit “Argentina” as Country keyword, then the Archives Catalog Search conducts search only in in the database associated with that field. If you want to search in multiple fields at once you should use Combined Field Search. The List button next to the search field helps to look up for words in the database associated with that field. This is handy if you are not sure about the spelling of a word or name, or if you just want to search alphabetically. This way your search will always yield results. List buttons are next to controlled vocabulary fields such as Person/Institution , Country , Subject , and Authoring Person or Department. So, if you click the button next to Person/Institution you will see the list with all person and institution names from database associated with this field. Use the right or left arrow icons to browse through the list. If you are looking for a name that starts with a "W", then you may type that letter in the Person/Institution field before you click the List button and you will be taken directly to keywords starting with “W”. In fields with no List button, you can enter multiple words, separated by spaces. All words must then occur in a result. 3. The Sort by option allows you to choose on which field you would like the search result to be sorted. This is especially handy if your search generates a lot of results. Mark the concerning Sort by radio button by clicking it. 4. Click the Search button to start the search. Use the Clear button to erase all entry fields for a new search. Field Descriptions Combined Field Search: The Combined Field Search allows you to look for words or phrases across all the following fields: Title, Scope and Content, Authoring Person or Department, Person and Institution Keywords, Subject Keywords, Country Keywords, Biographical and Administrative History, and Archival History. Title: The Title field searches only record titles. For records in the Executive Board Documents Collection, description is at the individual document level. Records in the Archival Descriptions Collection are generally described only at the file folder level. You can enter one or more words that you are searching for. The sequence of the words is irrelevant. Type a space between the separate words. Date or YearDate searching is very robust. You can search for specific dates, a single year, or a range of dates or years. To search for a single year, put that year, without day or month, in both date boxes, i.e., 2005 until 2005 To search for a specific date, use the ISO standard date format in both date boxes. For example: 2005-03-30 until 2005-03-30 used for searching records from March 30, 2005 Searching on a range of years will include all records within that date range. For example: 2005 until 2006 returns all records between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006 Person/Institution: The Person and Institution keyword search field allows you to search for records related to specific people (i.e., Polak, JJ, or Ouattara, Alassane), internal Fund divisions (i.e., Central Asia Department), or external institutions (i.e., World Bank, National Bank of Belgium). Person records are entered in Last Name, First Name format (i.e., Karzai, Hamid). Click the list button to choose from a list of available names. (For example, if you would like to see all keywords starting with the letter “m” type this letter first in the entry field.) Country: The Country field searches a controlled list of country names. Searching on historical country names (i.e., Upper Volta), is not currently supported. Country keywords have only been extensively applied to the Archival Descriptions Collection at the series level and above, and in the Executive Board Documents Collection in documents created after 1983. For all other documents, keywords are relatively rare, and you will get better results searching on the Title field. To browse the entire set of keywords, click the List button. To jump to a particular spot in the alphabetical list, enter one or more letters in the keyword field and click the List i.e., "b" or "bur" for Burkina Faso Currently, the Subject keywords are in the same database as the Country keywords. Please do not be surprised to browse a combined list. Subject: The Subject field searches a controlled list of topical keywords related to the Fund's work (i.e., Article IV consultations), programs (i.e., SDR, GATT), and general economic terminology (i.e., mining sector, wage policy). Subject keywords have only been extensively applied to the Archival Descriptions Collection at the series level and above, and in the Executive Board Documents Collection in documents created after 1983. For all other documents, keywords are relatively rare, and you will get better results searching on the Title field. To browse the entire set of keywords, click the List button. To jump to a particular spot in the alphabetical list, enter one or more letters in the keyword field and click the List button. "i.e., "s" or "sta" for Stand-by Arrangement Currently, the Subject keywords are in the same database as the Country keywords. Please do not be surprised to browse a combined list. Authoring Person or Department: Authoring People and Departments are who created the records, rather than who the records are about. This includes both internal Fund divisions, as well as individual people such as deputy directors or the authors of papers in the Executive Board Documents Collection. Person records are entered in Last Name, First Name format (i.e., Salinas, Gonzo). To browse the entire set of keywords, click the List button. To jump to a particular spot in the alphabetical list, enter one or more letters in the keyword field and click the List button i.e., "r" or "res" for Research Department.

Main content

Simple search

The Simple search is the default on the Search page. It allows to perform free text searches by means of one entry field only.

1. You will find all available databases above Search entry field. All Archive Materials searches everything in the IMF Archives. Archives Descriptions and Records searches the Departmental Archives and Central Files. Executive Board Documents Only searches only the subset of documents created by the Executive Board. By default, you search All Archive Materials. You can choose the database by deselecting or selecting checkboxes as needed.

2. Type a word or name in the Search entry field. You may also provide just a partial word, or multiple words at once. When searching for multiple words separate them with a space and expect to find them all in a result.

Advanced search

Advanced search allows to perform free text searches across multiple fields using the Combined Field Search. It allows you to search for more than one word or name simultaneously and to indicate in which fields the word or name should occur.

1. Click the Collection drop-down list to open it. There are three options. All Archive Materials searches everything in the IMF Archives. Archives Descriptions and Records searches the Departmental Archives and Central Files. Executive Board Documents Only searches only the subset of documents created by the Executive Board.

2. Type the word or name in the relevant entry field. You may also provide just a partial word or leave the field empty. Value must be provided in only one of the fields to start the search. Note that if you were to submit “Argentina” as Country keyword, then the Archives Catalog Search conducts search only in in the database associated with that field. If you want to search in multiple fields at once you should use Combined Field Search.

The List button next to the search field helps to look up for words in the database associated with that field. This is handy if you are not sure about the spelling of a word or name, or if you just want to search alphabetically. This way your search will always yield results. List buttons are next to controlled vocabulary fields such as Person/Institution , Country , Subject , and Authoring Person or Department. So, if you click the button next to Person/Institution you will see the list with all person and institution names from database associated with this field. Use the right or left arrow icons to browse through the list. If you are looking for a name that starts with a "W", then you may type that letter in the Person/Institution field before you click the List button and you will be taken directly to keywords starting with “W”.

In fields with no List button, you can enter multiple words, separated by spaces. All words must then occur in a result.

3. The Sort by option allows you to choose on which field you would like the search result to be sorted. This is especially handy if your search generates a lot of results. Mark the concerning Sort by radio button by clicking it.

4. Click the Search button to start the search.

Use the Clear button to erase all entry fields for a new search.

Field Descriptions

Combined Field Search: The Combined Field Search allows you to look for words or phrases across all the following fields: Title, Scope and Content, Authoring Person or Department, Person and Institution Keywords, Subject Keywords, Country Keywords, Biographical and Administrative History, and Archival History.

Title: The Title field searches only record titles. For records in the Executive Board Documents Collection, description is at the individual document level. Records in the Archival Descriptions Collection are generally described only at the file folder level. You can enter one or more words that you are searching for. The sequence of the words is irrelevant. Type a space between the separate words.

Date or YearDate searching is very robust. You can search for specific dates, a single year, or a range of dates or years.

To search for a single year, put that year, without day or month, in both date boxes, i.e., 2005 until 2005

To search for a specific date, use the ISO standard date format in both date boxes. For example: 2005-03-30 until 2005-03-30 used for searching records from March 30, 2005

Searching on a range of years will include all records within that date range. For example: 2005 until 2006 returns all records between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2006

Person/Institution: The Person and Institution keyword search field allows you to search for records related to specific people (i.e., Polak, JJ, or Ouattara, Alassane), internal Fund divisions (i.e., Central Asia Department), or external institutions (i.e., World Bank, National Bank of Belgium).

Person records are entered in Last Name, First Name format (i.e., Karzai, Hamid).

Click the list button to choose from a list of available names. (For example, if you would like to see all keywords starting with the letter “m” type this letter first in the entry field.)

Country: The Country field searches a controlled list of country names. Searching on historical country names (i.e., Upper Volta), is not currently supported.

Country keywords have only been extensively applied to the Archival Descriptions Collection at the series level and above, and in the Executive Board Documents Collection in documents created after 1983. For all other documents, keywords are relatively rare, and you will get better results searching on the Title field.

To browse the entire set of keywords, click the List button. To jump to a particular spot in the alphabetical list, enter one or more letters in the keyword field and click the List i.e., "b" or "bur" for Burkina Faso

Currently, the Subject keywords are in the same database as the Country keywords. Please do not be surprised to browse a combined list.

Subject: The Subject field searches a controlled list of topical keywords related to the Fund's work (i.e., Article IV consultations), programs (i.e., SDR, GATT), and general economic terminology (i.e., mining sector, wage policy).

Subject keywords have only been extensively applied to the Archival Descriptions Collection at the series level and above, and in the Executive Board Documents Collection in documents created after 1983. For all other documents, keywords are relatively rare, and you will get better results searching on the Title field.

To browse the entire set of keywords, click the List button. To jump to a particular spot in the alphabetical list, enter one or more letters in the keyword field and click the List button. "i.e., "s" or "sta" for Stand-by Arrangement

Currently, the Subject keywords are in the same database as the Country keywords. Please do not be surprised to browse a combined list.

Authoring Person or Department: Authoring People and Departments are who created the records, rather than who the records are about. This includes both internal Fund divisions, as well as individual people such as deputy directors or the authors of papers in the Executive Board Documents Collection.

Person records are entered in Last Name, First Name format (i.e., Salinas, Gonzo).