BMD search parameters

I thought the attached taken recently from "Deceased Online" set out some rather helpful advice on name search parameters which would be equally applicable to BMD searches, although some modifications would probably be applicable to the BMD indexes and equivalents would needed for place and date searches:

Useful Search Tips

After attending a series of national demonstrations, we discovered that a number of family historians had hit a brick wall looking for relatives. We were able to help by showing them a few of handy tricks … for searching the website:

1. Do not put too much information into your search. Too much information can
   put too strict a limit on the search results. Instead of William George Frank Hays just try William Hays.
2. Use a wild card. When variations in spelling can occur a wild card (%) allows a wider search within controlled parameters i.e M%clean will give both Maclean and Mclean.
3. Try name abbreviations i.e. Wm rather than William or Jas for James. Other common abbreviations are Geo, Hy, Mgt, Robt, Edwd, Jno, Chs, Chas, Tho, Thos, Alfd etc
4. Use surname only. Forenames might have been abbreviated (see above), initialled, or in some cases completely unrecorded.
5. Search maiden name. In Scottish records ladies are frequently recorded under their maiden name rather than married name. In other cases records contain Nee or AKA so Mary Smith Nee Hays or Mary Smith AKA Hays.