Searching Vault

Vault uses a powerful search engine to help you find documents, object records, and attachments. You can perform basic searches from the primary search bar or carry out more detailed searches using Advanced Search. From the primary search bar, you may also be able to select the type of object or document that you’d like to find. If your Vault does not have custom tabs, the drop-down selector does not appear and your searches always use “all documents” as the search context. If configured, you can expand your search across multiple objects, and these sub-tabs and collections appear nested below their respective tabs in the search context drop-down. Expanded searches appear indented under their respective tabs.

About Document Searches

When searching for documents, you select either All Documents or a specific document type in the search bar. The available options depend on the custom tab configuration of your Vault. The document search finds documents with field values that match the search terms and then highlights matching text when displaying search results. The search and highlight include any words configured as synonyms for your search terms as well as words matched by stemming. Vault also includes field values for object records that the document references. For example, searching chopredol would bring back documents that reference the CholeCap product because that value is in the Generic Name field. The specific object fields that are included when searching for documents will vary according to your Vault’s configuration. See details about basic search below.

For more detailed searches that may include document content (full-text search) and attachments, use Advanced Search.

In some situations, Vault converts your search terms into relevant filters using Auto-Filtering.

About Stemming

Vault uses stemming to return results for metadata and content searches that include inflections of the search term:

  • The singular or plural form of a noun. For example, virus will match viruses.
  • The tense of a verb. For example, modify will match modified.
  • The comparative or superlative form of an adjective. For example, large will match larger and largest.

To return only the exact search term, for example, large but not larger or largest, use an exact match query.

Stemming is available for English, French, and German fields and English content.

Wildcards

When you search a single term, Vault automatically adds a wildcard to the end of your search term so that partial words will match to anything that begins with the entered search string. For example, a search on ind would return independent and indication, but not find or rescind.

To offer more precise search results, Vault does not automatically apply wildcards when you search for a document number or alphanumeric pattern using the main search bar or “any of the words” in Advanced Search. For example, a search for DOC1 would return DOC1, DOC-1, and ABC.DOC.1, but would not return DOC12 or DOC13 because the number portion is not accurate. To perform a “starts with” search, you can manually insert a trailing wildcard using the * symbol. For example, a search for DOC1* would return DOC12 and DOC13.

Vault prioritizes exact-match terms above “starts with” matches. For example, if you search for promo, Vault ranks precise matches to the term promo before matches such as promotional or promote. To search for an exact match to your terms, use an exact match query.

There is a maximum of two (2) wildcards per search term and a maximum of ten (10) search terms with wildcards for the entire search string.

Search Modifiers

Search modifiers allow you to quickly apply a document or object record field filter from within the search bar, rather than searching for a value within all fields. Vault suggests up to five field names as you type in your search terms. You can also type the full name of a field followed by a colon to have Vault select that field for you. Once you select a field, you can:

  • For text fields (as well as rich text and long text fields for objects only), type in a value and press Enter to search for documents or object records with the value within that field.
  • For picklist, object reference, user, and yes/no fields (as well as Document Number fields for documents only), select a value from the list of suggestions, or type to narrow the list and then select a value.

To apply multiple filters, return to the search bar and repeat the process.

Auto-Filtering

When enabled, auto-filtering converts search terms into filters when they match certain values on a document. For example, a search for Cholecap Promotional Piece would automatically create a filter for the Cholecap Product and the Promotional Piece document type. If no relevant filters are found for your search terms, Vault will run them as a text search.

If auto-filtering does not return pertinent documents, click the Run as text Search link to run the search again without auto-filtering.

Auto-filtering creates filters for:

  • Document type, subtype, and classification
  • Lifecycle state
  • Product
  • Country
  • Study, Study Country, and Site (Clinical Operations Vaults only)

When you start an Advanced Search, Vault applies existing auto-filters to the search.

About Object Record Searches

To search for object records, select the specific object from the search bar or Advanced Search window. When using the search bar, Vault searches the field values of the specific object’s records or group of objects in a collection. Use Advanced Search if you want to include object attachments or related object records in your search.

In some Vaults, you can filter your search results on related object records when conducting an advanced search within an object tab. For example, you can filter on related Country Decision Detail object records when searching within the Regulatory Objective object tab in RIM Vaults. To filter on related object records:

  1. Open Advanced Search.
  2. If you didn’t start the advanced search from the object tab you want to search in, select it from the Search In drop-down. Or, select a collection to expand your search to a pre-configured group of objects. Collections are nested below related parent tabs.
  3. In the related object field, enter object records manually or click the binoculars icon to select records from the Search dialog. You can select up to 20 related object records.

Related object filters that are delivered as part of a Vault application cannot be edited.

Searching Raw Object Records

You can filter raw object records as well as search for them by name via the search bar. However, raw object records do not support advanced search. Record filtering for raw objects is case sensitive. Filters may not be available for all fields.

Additionally, searches on raw objects cannot return more than 1,000 records. If your search returns more than 1,000 records, only the first 1,000 results are shown and Vault will display 1000+ as the number of search results. If this occurs, we suggest using additional filters to narrow your search results.

About Searching Attachments

When your Vault uses attachments, you can include them in search by selecting Include Attachments in the Advanced Search dialog and entering terms to search. Vault searches within the attachment’s filename, description, and (if applicable) full text content. When Vault finds matching attachments, what appears in the search results can vary:

  • When searching for documents and using the compact or detail layout, matching attachments appear under the related documents.
  • When searching for documents and using the tile or tabular layout, Vault displays only the related document. You’ll need to open the Doc Info page to get to the attachment.
  • When searching objects, Vault displays only the related object record. You’ll need to click into the record’s details to get to the attachment.

About Searching Reports

To search across reports, select Reports in the search bar. Vault searches within the report’s name, report type, description, and most fields. Vault displays the matching reports in a filtered view in the Reports tab. To save this view for future use, click Save View As.

Basic Search allows you to perform simple queries by searching within document or object record fields.

To search within document or object record fields:

  1. In the search bar’s drop-down menu, select the documents or objects you want to search. These align with the custom tabs in your Vault.
  2. Click into the search field in the primary navigation bar. Vault automatically displays the most recently viewed documents or object records. If you’re looking for one of these, click on it from the preview list. If not, continue with the next steps.
  3. Start typing one or more terms in the search box. To search an exact string, use double quotes around the terms (“patient education”). On document searches, the preview list updates with each character you enter to suggest search terms and up to five (5) relevant results. This will not occur on object record searches.
  4. Choose a document or object record from the preview list, press Enter to see all results, or click Advanced Search to perform a more complex query. If collections are configured in your Vault for the object you selected from the search bar’s drop-down menu, you can select a collection from the Expand Search section, then enter your search terms to search across the entire collection
  5. Optional: If the search result set is too large, apply filters on the search results page to help find the document or object record. Vault preserves filter settings when you modify your search, initiate a new one, or initiate an Advanced Search.
  6. From the search results page, click on the document or object record name to view it.

If the search result set is too large, you can apply filters on the search results page to help find specific documents or object records. Vault preserves filter settings when you modify your search or initiate a new search.

When clicking into the search field in most areas of Vault, search defaults to all documents in the Library unless your Admin has configured a different Default Search Tab. If you click into the search field while viewing a custom document or object tab, search defaults to only documents or object records within that tab.

Advanced Search allows you to perform more complex queries for documents by searching within specific fields, including attachments, changing the search operator, and searching within document content.

To use Advanced Search:

  1. Click the binoculars icon from the search bar or Advanced Search from the search preview list. Vault preserves filter settings when you start an Advanced Search.
  2. Fill in as many criteria as needed. If configured, you can perform an expanded search on a specific tab or collection by selecting it from the Search In drop-down.
  3. To perform a general search in addition to the field-specific search you’ve entered, select Include Content in the Search Scope and enter the search terms in either the Any of these words or All of these words fields, depending on which search operator you want to use. You can use both fields if needed. Learn more about full-text search.
  4. Optional: If you would like to perform a search including every language instead of just your preferred languages, select All Languages. This option is only available in Vaults with multilingual document handling enabled.
  5. Your Vault may include up to five (5) object reference fields as additional filters in the Advanced Search dialog on document tabs. You can add values for any or all of these filters to your search context. See details about using Advanced Search with object reference filters below.
  6. Click Search.

By default, searches include document and document fields or object record fields only. Select Include Content to include document content when using Advanced Search. Select Include Attachments to search for matches in document and object record attachments.

In Vaults with multilingual document handling enabled, unless you select All Languages, your search terms will only search across text in fields on documents in the Document Search Languages selected on your user profile.

You can also use Advanced Search to search within the document archive. To do this, select Archive from the Search In drop-down or set the Search Archives toggle to Yes. These options only appears if you have a security profile that includes the View Archive permission.

If you enter a search term in the All of the words field with both Include Content and Include Attachments selected, Vault performs a separate search for each search scope. In addition, a third search is performed in the document’s metadata. The search term must appear in at least one of the search scopes to generate results.

On the search results page, any filter criteria you apply are in addition to the search criteria. For example, if you select CholeCap as the Product in your search, the Product filter will have All selected, but only documents with CholeCap selected are showing. You can choose additional products and the results page will then show only documents with both CholeCap and the additional products selected.

When you apply filters in the Filters to the search results, they appear above the document list. From there, you can clear all filters. Vault preserves filter settings when you start an Advanced Search.

When object reference fields in your Advanced Search dialog have a parent-child relationship, you must select a value in the parent filter before you can select a value in the child filter. If you’ve already filtered on an object reference field that is included in the Advanced Search dialog before you start your search, you won’t be able to select a value for that filter in the dialog. If you want to select a new value for that filter, click Clear All.

If configured, you can expand your search across a group of pre-configured objects and documents in a collection. You can expand your search to a collection in both Basic and Advanced searches. Collections, denoted with a square plus icon, are nested below related parent tabs. Vault displays your search results in the expanded search results view.

From custom tabs, Vault displays any available collections in the Expand Search section of the preview list. Select the collection you want to search within, and then enter your search terms to search across the entire collection of objects and documents.

Open the Search In drop-down to see all available search collections nested below related parent tabs. You can also start typing in the Search In field to look up the collection or parent tab by name. Select the collection you want to search within, and then enter your search terms to search across the entire collection of objects and documents.

Searching within a Saved View

Vault allows you to search within any standard or saved view, preserving all filters and view settings. To do this, select a view to search in. The name of the view appears in the search bar notifying the user of which view they’re searching.

After receiving search results, a user can continue to add and remove filters. Click Save View to update the view with any new filter settings.

Vault does not apply auto-filtering if there is at least one filter already applied.

How to Search Across Vaults

If your Vault has the My Vaults feature enabled, you can search across documents in every Vault to which you have access.

About Missing Documents or Object Records

If you cannot find a document or object record by searching, there are several possibilities:

  • You have not been assigned permission to view the document. Only documents that you have permission to view appear in your search results. You can be assigned to a role on the document that has no permissions for the document’s current state.
  • Your search term doesn’t match because of a spelling error in your search entry, the document’s or object record’s fields, or the document content. Vault does not suggest alternate spellings like Google search.
  • The document or object record does not exist or has been deleted.

Limitations

The maximum length of each search term is 250 characters.

Inactive fields can’t be selected as filters when configuring tab filters. If a search needs to be conducted on an inactive field, users can still do so by creating a report.