STAR provides for both comprehensive and precise web-based retrieval. Its Professional Search Mode allows expert users to formulate set-based searches in their own way, using all of the sophistication of the Standard Search Language (SSL) common throughout the world of online information retrieval.

Infrequent searchers can use STAR's Assisted Search Mode, which masks the many options that expert searchers use, without losing any search capabilities. All searches can take advantage of:

• Boolean operators
• proximity operators, including within "n" words
• combination of sets
• searching within specific fields or across multiple or all fields
• fuzzy searching
• relevancy ranking
• automatic searching of broader/narrower terms
• relational searches and reports

The results of searches can be sorted and presented or exported in many ways, based on the users' needs.