Read and search within a document

When a result looks useful, open it and read the surrounding text. You can find words in the section you are reading or search across the document's other sections.

Open a passage

From Search: Select a result's title or an indented passage beneath it. The source opens in a reading window at the selected reference when one is available.
From Explore: Select a result or a point on the map to open its preview, then select Open document.

Search results showing source titles, passage references, and indented links to additional passages in the same document. — A title opens the source; an indented passage opens its specific reference.

A Search result carries your query into the reading window, so matching words can be highlighted without retyping them. Search also finds passages by meaning, so a relevant result may not contain an exact match for your words.

Find words in the section you are reading

Use the Keyword search field in the text reader. On a computer, Command+F on Mac or Ctrl+F on Windows focuses it.
Enter the word or phrase you want to locate.
Use Next match and Previous match to move through the matches. The counter shows your position, such as 2/8.

While the field is focused, Enter moves to the next match and Shift+Enter moves to the previous one. Use Clear search to remove the query and highlights.

The match counter covers the text currently displayed. If it shows no matches, that does not mean the term is absent from the rest of the document.

Search the entire document

On the full document page, select Search entire document. If you are in a source reading window, select Full Document first. You need to be signed in to use whole-document search.

Enter your topic or words in the Search the entire document... field.
Wait for the matching passages to appear. Each result includes a section reference and an excerpt.
Select a passage to navigate to that section. Use the keyword arrows to find matching words there.

This is useful for long works: you can look for mercy across a document without visiting every section yourself.

If you cannot find the passage

Try a shorter word or a different expression. If you have changed the document's language, search using the wording in the text you are now reading. For a topic that may be covered elsewhere in the library, return to Search and remove the document filter.

Before quoting, check the title, author, reference, and surrounding paragraphs. An excerpt or an AI-generated preview helps you decide what to open; the source text gives you the context.