Arctos has many different search options. You do not need to be logged in to search, but an account is required for downloading data and for customizing most features. Key search options are accessed through the first “Search” tab.

• • Catalog Records – Search collection(s) for all data related to a catalog record (specimen, object, or observation; anything that is assigned a catalog number). You can also search specific collections by choosing the collection(s) in the dropdown menu for “Collection” or by clicking on the button “choose” next to the collection dropdown. The default search page provides basic fields, but those can be customized (i.e., additional search fields added) by clicking on “Customize Search & Results” at the top or bottom of the search interface, and then going to “Customize or Manage Profile.” Users can also select from pre-set search interfaces. Search fields are organized in blocks according to the type of data.

    — Sample Search for Specimens with Tissues, showing how to customize the search interface and view associated GenBank records

• Media – Arctos is rich in media (images, audio, video) associated with catalog records. There are two ways to search Arctos for media: (1) through the Media interface under “Search”, where you can search by keywords or specific media metadata; and (2) through the Specimen Search, where you can look for records that specifically contain media; customization is required to add media as a search term.

  — Sample search for Cataloged Records with Media, including 3D models, with links to other identifiers

• Projects/Publications – A key feature of Arctos is tracking usage of collections through Projects and Publications. You can search by project title (or words within a title), participants, or other data including specimen citations.

• Taxonomy – Interested in Arctos taxonomy? Search across all taxonomic names and view their classifications in the Search Taxonomy interface.

• Places and Events – Find geospatial and event data in Arctos by using the main Catalog Record search interface or by searching Places and Events.

• Code Tables – Arctos relies heavily on code tables for controlling the values of data, thus making the records more searchable. Collections interested in Arctos should look at the code tables prior to any data migration.

• Agents – Arctos has over 79,000 agent names (people and organizations). Search on Agents to find a particular agent’s contribution to the data in Arctos.