Wildcards allow you to search for all entries that include a particular name or a string of letters. A percentage sign (%) is used to indicate that the criteria you have entered is part of what you wish to find. Wildcards only affect the field in which you have used them and can be entered in multiple fields per search. Although it is recommended that you use wildcards when searching NPII by Name, you should avoid making your search too general as the maximum number of possible matches returned for a search is set at 54. Wildcards are not required when searching by Gender or Administration Number.
Example 1) Surname: Green, Given Name: blank (box ticked for "I would like a wildcard (%) added automatically next to the Given Name field) Will find persons with the surname 'Green' regardless of given name.
Example 2) Surname: Green, Given Name: John Will find only persons with the exact surname 'Green' and the single given name 'John'. Will not find 'John Robert Green'.
Example 3) Surname: Green, Given Name: J (box ticked for "I would like a wildcard (%) added automatically next to the Given Name field") Will find persons with the exact surname 'Green' and and a given name beginning with 'J'. Will find 'John Green' and 'John Robert Green'. Will not find 'John Greene'.
Example 4) Surname: Green (box ticked for "I would like a wildcard (%) added automatically next to the Surname field"), Given Name: J (box ticked for "I would like a wildcard (%) added automatically next to the Given Name field") Will find all persons with a surname beginning with 'Green' and a given name beginning with 'J'. Will find 'John Green' and 'James Greene'.
Example 5) Surname: Gre%en, Given Name: J (box ticked for "I would like a wildcard (%) added automatically next to the Given Name field") Will find all persons with a surname beginning 'Gre' and ending with 'en', with a given name beginning with 'J'. Will find 'John Green' and 'John Gregorsen'.
Gender: No wildcard is required. Gender: 'M' will find all persons with their gender recorded as 'M', plus all persons with their gender not recorded.
Administration Number: No wildcard is required. Administration Number: 'NSW/02/' will find all persons with any petition type lodged in NSW in 2002.
