Publication Search Quick Start Guide
The Quick Start introduces the House of Commons Publication Search. For advanced search information see the User Guide and FAQ. For assistance, contact indref@parl.gc.ca or 613-992-8976.
Search English Content / Search French Content
Select the official language of the publication you wish to search. The rest of the website will remain in English.
Search box
Type keywords, then press the Enter key or click the Search button to search the text of parliamentary publications.
Add Search Criteria
Click here to add another search box. AND, NOT, OR can be selected from the dropdown list along with more keywords to help refine the search.
Tabs
Switch tabs to search four parliamentary publications: Hansard (Debates of the House), Journals, Committee, or BOIE (Board of Internal Economy).
Save
Select Save from the Search Options located underneath the tabs, then create a title for the search. A link called Open will appear where saved searches can be retrieved.
Clear all
Before starting a new search, select Clear All from the Search Options (located underneath the tabs) to remove previous search terms and filters.
Search Results
Search results are presented in the form of individual items: a transcript of each time someone speaks. Each item contains information on who spoke and when; a text preview with the option to click …More to reveal the full speech; and at the bottom, the discussed topics tagged to the item.
Six icons located in the top righthand corner give the ability to: share to Facebook or Twitter; play video of that item; view the whole meeting on a webpage or pdf; and add to favourites. Underneath the item, there is the option to click on a name and timestamp to view the next item in that publication.
Parliament and Session Filter
Defaults to the most recent Session of Parliament. Select a specific date range, Parliament or Session. To search all years available in the Publication Search select All Debates.
Order of Business Filter
Select the desired type of proceedings in Hansard and Journals tabs.
Discussed Topic Filter
Displays topics related to the search. Select one or more topics to show only items tagged with those subjects. In the Journals tab this filter is simply called Topic.
Procedural Term Filter
Refine search by parliamentary rules and procedures.
Person Speaking Filter
Search by a person’s name, province or territory they represent, Caucus, or Participation type (committees only).
Committee Filter
Select specific committee(s) to search.
