Search Tips & Best Practices

Library Search supports both keyword and semantic queries, and knowing which approach to use — and when to add filters — makes a significant difference in what you find.

Two Ways to Search

The search engine combines keyword matching with semantic understanding. This means it works well for two quite different query styles:

• Keyword precision: Searching a specific name, program, or acronym — like Luis Elizondo, AATIP, or Nimitz — retrieves documents and entities where that term appears. Results rank on how closely the text matches.
• Semantic queries: Searching an open question or concept — like "who investigated the Roswell crash" or "evidence of recovered materials" — retrieves documents whose meaning matches the intent of the question, even if the exact words are different. The engine understands context, not just literal strings.

For most research purposes, starting with a proper noun and then shifting to semantic queries for follow-up is the most effective workflow.

Searching for Proper Nouns

Person names, program names, and location names are your most reliable search anchors. The library is built around entities, so named searches consistently return tight, relevant results. Examples:

• Elizondo — returns documents and entity profiles linked to Luis Elizondo
• Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program — matches the full program name in any document
• Skinwalker Ranch — returns location profile and associated events

Acronyms: Try Both Forms

Some sources use acronyms consistently; others spell them out. If a search for the acronym returns limited results, try the full name — and vice versa.

• Try AATIP and also Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program
• Try UAP and also unidentified aerial phenomena
• Try UAPTF and also UAP Task Force

When an entity exists in the library for a program, its profile page will list alternate names and link to all associated documents — so reaching the entity is often the best way to find everything related to a program regardless of how it was named in each source.

Semantic and Open Questions

The search engine handles natural-language questions well. Try queries like:

• "congressional testimony about UAP retrieval programs"
• "witnesses who saw occupants near a landed craft"
• "documents related to electromagnetic effects on aircraft"

These return documents matching the concept, not just the literal words. Semantic queries are especially useful when you don't know the exact terminology used in the source documents.

Using Source Filters

When a search returns too many results to scan usefully, add a source filter to narrow by source type or specific source:

• Filter to Government sources only to see only T1 evidence — declassified documents, AARO reports, and congressional records.
• Filter to a specific source (for example, AARO or a particular documentary series) to see what that source says about a given topic.

Filters are available in the search results panel. You can combine a keyword or semantic query with a source filter to get a very focused result set.

Date-Based Searches

Search is not optimized for date queries. If you want to explore events within a specific time period, use the Timeline instead — it is built for chronological navigation and lets you filter by era and source tier simultaneously.

When Entity Names Are Searched

Searching a name that has an entity profile in the library returns both the entity profile card and the documents linked to that entity. Click the entity profile to open the full Explorer view, which shows confirmed facts, relationships, and a complete list of associated events and source documents.

When Search Returns Too Much

• Add a source filter to narrow by type or specific source.
• Make your query more specific — add a co-occurring term, a year, or a location.
• Try searching for the specific entity name rather than a generic topic.

When Search Returns Nothing

• Try broader or alternate terminology — the source documents may use different phrasing.
• Try the acronym or full name version if you searched the other.
• Check the SOURCES page to see if the topic is covered in the library at all.
• If the library has limited coverage, ask the AI in Briefings — it may be able to synthesize from adjacent sources even when a direct keyword match doesn't surface results.