Saturday, August 6, 2016

How to remove that pesky search-highlighting in your TROVE results in two clicks

When searching in TROVE (newspapers), I like to save a clean copy of the article I find without the search-highlighting. The benefits of using TROVE are endless (what's not to love?), as far as I can see, but the one thing that I had found challenging was how to remove the search-highlighting in a quick and easy way when you don't want to download the entire article or the entire page, as given to you by TROVE as a jpg or pdf download.  Maybe this is petty of me but I like to have a clean version of a newspaper article before I file it in my records, without the additional text on the page.

You've probably already worked out how to do this, so please forgive me for stating the obvious. However, for those who haven't, here is a simple solution. It will only add two clicks to your search process.

Step 1: Search

Conduct your search. For example, I was searching for information about the death of one of my great uncles, Thomas NEWTON, in 1926 in Warialda, NSW.

Source: Google Maps

My search terms in TROVE were:


Step 2: Find your highlighted article

Identify the article you wish to save and notice the searched-for terms are still highlighted (messy, in my opinion).

Source: Warialda Standard and Northern Districts' Advertiser, Monday 31 May 1926, page 3
(searched via TROVE newspaper search)

In terms of saving a nice, clean image of the newspaper notice, I'm not too keen on the image above, with all its search-highlighting still visible.

Step 3: Go to the NEXT page

In the "old days", to save a clean copy of this article, I would go into TROVE again and, instead of doing a search with specific terms, I would search the newspapers by title, then narrow down by date, and page number.

However, recently, I worked out a simpler and quicker way.

By clicking on the drop-down menu, under the page number (page 3 in the case below), you can get to the next page (page 4 in the case below) which will take you to a clean page without any highlighting. Although this next page is not of interest to you, it's worth the trip!

Hint: Remember the location of the article on the page that is of interest to you.

Source: Warialda Standard and Northern Districts' Advertiser, Monday 31 May 1926, page 3 with search terms highlighted 
(searched via TROVE newspaper search)


This will take you to the next page (page 4 in the case below).

Source: Warialda Standard and Northern Districts' Advertiser, Monday 31 May 1926, page 4 
(searched via TROVE newspaper search)



Step 4: Get your clean copy

Once you are on the next page (page 4 in the case above), you can quickly get back to the article you are interested in, by clicking on the previous link, under Page 4.

Source: Warialda Standard and Northern Districts' Advertiser, Monday 31 May 1926, page 4 
(searched via TROVE newspaper search)

... and this will get you back to your clean version of your searched-for article.

Source: Warialda Standard and Northern Districts' Advertiser, Monday 31 May 1926, page 3 
(searched via TROVE newspaper search)


I  also like to save a copy of the newspaper header for context.




Hope that little process gives you more genie time in the long run.

11 comments:

  1. Brilliant!! Thanks for that. Love learning new things.

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  2. Thanks Maria from one who has been too lazy to investigate this.

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  3. I usually download and save the article that way, or if it's too long I just clip that section. I try to put the paper detail in the file name but saving the header is a good idea.

    Good to have a clean copy but don't you just hate looking at overseas papers where you have to find the bit you want in a great length of text?

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    1. Yep, exactly. Downloading the jpg doesn't always clip out the bit you want so I'm sometimes a bit fussy with only wanting the section I want:)

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  4. You can easily download your article easily without the highlighted text by clicking on the download icon on the left hand side (in the newspaper view) and choose to download as PDF, JPG or text.

    You can also tag your article or add it to a list - then search the tag or look at your list and the article will be there - without the highlighted text.

    Another thing I do is move the article I want close to the source information and then use the snipping tool to snip the section I want complete with the source info.

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    1. Thanks Infolass. Great ideas, especially the snipping tool. Very handy.

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  5. Thank you VERY much, Genies - quick, simple and effective remedy. PJ

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  6. Thanks for this!
    I was thinking I'd have to note the page and position and search for the whole edition.
    I use the British Newspaper archive and there there is a button to toggle off the highlights.

    Just thought I'd drop you a note to say I'm glad I found you when I googled for help with this so it's still helping people today.
    And with so many of my family going out to Australia I'll be certainly be exploring more on here.
    Working on a convict at the moment.
    Thanks again.

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  7. Thanks. I am addicted to Trove and have found this highlight a problem . . . but NZ Past Papers are still in front when you want to rid the highlight

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  8. Thanks so much, ye ol yellow box was driving me crazy!

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