Database tips
Truncation: A symbol at the end of a word to retrieve all variations. For example diet$ searches for diet, diets, dietary and dietition. Each database uses its own truncation symbol. Some databases automatically truncate.
Proximity searching: Allows you to specify where your search terms will appear in relation to each other. The closer your search terms appear to each other, the closer the relationship of those terms.
For example pain w/10 morphine will search for the words pain and morphine within "10" words of each other. This command varies with each database.
When determing the value of the number consider:
- Use w/3 to find terms in the same phrase
- Use w/10 to find terms in the same sentence
- Use w/50 to find terms in the same paragraph
Email alerts: Set up email alerts to notify you when new material is added to a database which matches your profile.
EndNote: EndNote is a software program that allows you to organise references in an EndNote library and link these references to your Word document.
Thesaurus: A thesaurus provides a list of prefered words and/or phrases which you can use to improve your search and retrieve more relevant results. The thesaurus lists spelling variations, synonyms, broader, narrower and related terms. The thesaurus can also be called a subject headings or controlled vocabulary list.
ACM Digital Library
| Truncation - * |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "prehistoric art" |
3 users |
| Unable to mark fulltext for email. Each article must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
Ask a question |
| Truncation - automatic |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "diffusion feedback" |
Email alerts |
| Unable to mark fulltext for email. Each article must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
Ask a question |
| EndNote - direct export available |
- |
| Truncation - * , auto-stemming |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "gene target" |
Email alerts |
| Unable to mark fulltext for email. Each article must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
Re-run saved searches |
| EndNote - direct export available |
Ask a question |
AustLit
| Truncation - * |
Preferred browser - IE 4, Netscape 5 and above |
| Phrase search - automatic |
1 user |
| Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT - must be capitalised |
Email alerts |
| - |
Ask a question |
See SAI Global
| Autostemming, forward and backward- steroid finds steroids and corticosteroid |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search automatic |
|
| Does not support Boolean searching |
Ask a question |
| Truncation - * |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "red blood cell", or select "exact phrase" from the drop down menu |
Registration required - free |
| - |
Re-run saved searches |
| - |
Email alerts |
| - |
Ask a question |
BMJ Best Practice
British Education Index
Business Monitor Online
Business Who's Who of Australia
Cambridge Journals Online
CCH
| Truncation - * |
Preferred browser - IE |
| Phrase search - "unfair dismissal" |
Only "Active Subscriptions" fulltext |
| Click "Print Mode" > tag the document to print > click "Print to PDF" |
Ask a question |
| Tutorials, product tours etc. provided by publisher |
- |
Searching
The opening screen displays all libraries. Only libraries listed under "Active Subscriptions" can be searched. Each library can contain a number of books. Searching can be across the entire library or within one book.
- Click on the name of a library, then specific book if required > type in search terms > click Go
- The number of times your search term appears is displayed in red. Click on a book title to view the Table of Contents > click on the plus sign to expand the subheadings > click on a heading at any time to view the text
Cengage (GaleInfoTrac)
Computer Database, Expanded Academic ASAP, Health Reference Centre
| Truncation - * |
Partial fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "information technology" |
Computer database - 10 users
Health Reference - 10 users
Times Digital Archive - 1 user |
| Articles in PDF format must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
Ask a question |
| To reformat a document for printing, select "Print" from the left hand side bar |
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| EndNote filter and save format |
- |
| Tutorials, product tours etc. provided by publisher |
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Search using subject headings
Click on Subject Guide to browse / identify subject headings and subheadings
Chemical Abstracts / SciFinder Scholar
| Enter search query as a sentence or phrase. Understands regular English phrasing |
Available as web browser software or using client software |
| Fulltext links are not necessarily to titles subscribed to by the University |
4 users - two for each platform |
| EndNote - save as Tagged Format [*.txt ], use the SciFinder [CAS] filter |
Ask a question |
| Tutorials, product tours etc. provded by publisher Need the correct java for the web version. |
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CIAO
Cochrane databases (Ovid)
Cochrane Library (Wiley)
CRCnetBASE
CHEMnetBASE, ENVIROnetBASE,
CSA
(Cambridge Scientific Abstracts)
Aluminum Industry Abstracts, Ceramic Abstracts, Copper Data Centre, Corrosion Abstracts, Engineered Material, Materials Business File, Materials Research, Metadex, MLA International Bibliography, Nursing and Health Sciences, Psychology, Sociological Abstracts, Weldasearch, World Ceramics Abstracts
CSIRO
| Truncation - * |
Partial fulltext |
| Unable to mark fulltext for email. Each article must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
Ask a question |
Current Index to Statistics
| Truncation - % |
Ask a question |
| Phrase search - automatic |
- |
EndNote - select "Refer" output format, save the results from your browser as a .txt file, use the EndNote Import filter
|
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Duke University Press Journals Online
EBSCO
Ed/ITLid Digital Library
| Truncation - * |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "distance learning" |
Email alerts |
| Proximity search - e.g. math <SENTENCE> science, math <PARAGRAPH> science |
Ask a question |
| Unable to mark fulltext for email. Each article must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
- |
| EndNote - direct export available |
- |
Education-line
Emerald
Search using subject headings
Find a relevant article. Click on a term within the Keyword field
Engineering Village
ERIC Education Resources Information Center
eTG Complete
| Truncation - Does not support truncation |
Ask a question |
| Does not support phrase searching |
- |
| Boolean searching- Uses AND by default supports OR |
|
Searching
- Scanning daily news / publications
Select News Pages from the green toolbar > select a country or subject area from the menu > select a date and section from the menu OR
Select Search from the green toolbar > click on Source > type in source name in the Find a Source box > click on the triangle to add to the Free Text box > select a date range from the Date menu > click Run Search
- Searching a specific newspaper or journal
Select Search from the green toolbar > click on Source > type in the name of the publication > click once on the publication title > type search terms in the Free Text box > select from the available limiting options e.g. date, full article > click Run Search
- Searching across a range of publications
Select Search from the green toolbar > click on Source > Select a source category from the menu > click on the plus sign to expand the list of publications > click ONCE on a publication or publication category at any time to select it as a source to search > type search terms in the Free Text box > select from the available limiting options e.g. date, full article > click Run Search
- Image searching
DO NOT select a source. Type in your search terms in the Free Text box > select the Pictures tab
Displaying results
- Click Frames on the right side of the screen to display search results in the left frame and selected article in the right frame
FIRSTConsult
| Truncation- None (not supported) |
Fulltext |
| Natural language, no Boolean operators, auto synonym search |
Ask a question |
FirstSearch
Restricted to academic staff and postgraduate students. Article First, Eco, World Cat
Grove
Grove Art, Grove Music
| Truncation - * |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "gold medal" |
Grove Art - 3 users
Grove Music - 3 users
|
| ~ preceeding a search term matches words that sound alike - e.g. ~mikelanjelo will find Michelangelo |
Ask a question |
Hein
HighWire Press
IEEE Xplore
| Truncation - *, auto-stemming |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - automatic |
15 users |
| Unable to mark fulltext for email. Each article must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
Email alerts |
| EndNote - direct import available. Each article must be imported seperately. |
Ask a question |
| Tutorials product tours etc. provided by publisher |
- |
Search using subject headings
Find a relevant article. Click on a term within the Index Terms field
Informaworld
INFORMIT
A+ Education, Account, AGIS plus, AHB, APAFT, ATSIhealth, DELTAA, , ENDANGER, ENGINE, Engineering Collection, EVA, Health Collection, Humanities and Social Sciences Collection, MAIS,
Targeting databases for your topic
Select Databases from the top of any Informit database screen > select Find Databases > enter a keyword > Search
Select one or more databases that provide the most matching records > click Start Searching
Search multiple databases
Select Databases from the top of any Informit database screen > select one or more databases > click Start Searching
Search using subject headings
Consult each database thesaurus as subject headings may vary. Do not use subject searches when searching across multiple databases.
Select Thesaurus tab at the top of the screen > type in a term > click Search Thesaurus OR Click a letter in the Browse Subject Terms box
Simulated search
Ingenta Connect
JCR (Journal Citation Reports)
Download PDF guide for JCR
JSTOR
LawLex
| Truncation - * |
|
| Phrase search - e.g. "beyond reasonable doubt" |
Fulltext |
| Unable to mark fulltext for email. Each article must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
Email alerts - legislation |
| Printing and saving varies between jurisdictions |
Ask a question |
Simulated searches:
Legal Online
Simulated searches:
Lexis.com
| Truncation - ! |
Preferred browser - IE |
| Phrase search - automatic |
Fulltext |
|
Proximity search - e.g.
- murder w/5 provocation
- internet w/p copyright (looks for the words in the same paragraph)
- atleast10(prenuptial agreements) Note: Must have no spaces (looks for documents in which the terms appear 10 times)
|
Email alerts |
| Click on Focus to modify a search |
Ask a question |
Selecting a Source
To search Lexis a "Source" must be identified first.
To select a source for:
- American journal articles
Select Legal>Secondary Legal>Law Reviews & Journals > US Law Reviews and Journals, Combined
- Law resources by country e.g. Australia
Select Legal>Legal (excluding U.S.)>Australia
Searching by segments
Lexis allows you to restrict your search to "segments" or particular parts of a document. Common segments in a case include name, judge, court and headnotes. Common segments in a journal article include author, publication and title.
- To restrict your search to a segment, use the "Restrict by Segment" drop down menu > type in your search term > click Add > Search
- Alternatively type in the name of the segment followed by your search term in brackets - e.g name(mabo), author(frazer)
LexisNexis AU
| Truncation - ! |
Recommended browser - IE |
| Phrase search - automatic |
Fulltext |
|
Proximity search - e.g.
- murder w/5 provocation
- internet w/p copyright (looks for the words in the same paragraph)
- atleast10(prenuptial agreements) Note: Must have no spaces (looks for documents in which the terms appear 10 times)
|
Ask a question |
LexisNexis AU offers a range of search options. Each is designed to search a particular type of content.
Common Tasks search
Select a task from the Common Tasks menu > type in a document name > click Go
Quick Sources search
Click on an individual source > type in your search terms > click Search
Tab search
Select from the red tabs > type in your search terms > click Search
Libraries Australia
McGraw-Hill
Access Medicine, Access Pharmacy, Harrison's Online
| Truncation - not supported suggest enable autoselect |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - automatic |
Ask a question |
| Search engine finds similar terms that match the concept |
- |
MathSciNet
MDConsult
| Truncation - * auto synonyms search |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search- Use quotation marks (“) to locate exact phrase |
Ask a question |
MIMs Online
NBER Working Papers
New York Review of Books
| Does not support truncation |
Fulltext |
| Does not support phrase searching |
Ask a question |
NSW Legislation
Onesource Global Business Browser
| Truncation - * |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - automatic |
Ask a question |
| Tutorials product tours etc. provided by publisher: Login to OneSource then from the Support menu, select Online tutorials |
|
OVID
ACP Journal, Biological Abstracts, Biosis Previews, EBM Reviews, Econlit, ERIC, Georef, Inspec, LWW 100, Medline, Philosophers Index, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, Wilsons Art Index
Select Change Database to re-run your search terms in another OVID database
Search using subject headings
Type in your search term. Click the Map Term to Subject Heading box
Focus will retrieve documents in which the subject heading is the main focus
Explode will retrieve records containing your term and more specific terms
Oxford Journals
| Truncation - *, auto-stemming |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "market research" or check the phrase box |
Ask a question |
| Articles in PDF format must be saved to the desktop, then emailed |
- |
| Endnote - direct export available |
- |
| Tutorials product tours etc. provided by publisher |
- |
Physical Review Online Archive
Popline
Project Muse
Proquest Central
ABI/Inform Global, Dissertation Abstracts, Proquest ANZ Newsstand, Proquest Research Library
Search using subject headings
Click on Browse Topics > click Thesaurus > type in your term > click Find Term
Limiting by article type
Click on More Search Options > from the Document Type menu select an article type
To exclude a publication type select AND NOT from the menu next to Document Type.This is useful to exclude Book Reviews.
PubMed
To limit to fulltext type in your search adding AND free full text [sb] - e.g. insulin AND diabetes AND free full text [sb]
Royal Society of Chemistry
| Truncation - *, auto stemming |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "fuel cell" |
Email alerts |
| Author search, use Boolean and between given and family name e.g. Alan and Jones |
Ask a question |
SAGE Journals Online
SAI Global
| Phrase search - automatic |
Fulltext |
| - |
2 users to access fulltext
Unlimited users to search the database |
| - |
StandardsWatch - Email alerts |
| - |
Ask a question |
ScienceDirect
SourceOECD
| Truncation - * or select truncated box in advanced search |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "economic development" or select exact phrase box in advanced search |
Email alerts |
| - |
Ask a question |
SpringerLink
Lecture notes in computer science
Ulrichs International
Is the journal Peer Reviewed?
Look for a Refereed icon on the Search Results page
Click on the journal title, check the Refereed field
Is the journal Academic / Scholarly?
Click on the journal title, check the Document Type field
Which database indexes the journal?
Click on the journal title, click on the Abstracting / Indexing tab
Web of Knowledge
Current Contents Connect, ISI Proceedings, Web of Science (keyword search)
Download PDF guide for Web of Science - Citation Index
Westlaw
| Truncation - ! |
Fulltext |
| Phrase search - e.g. "beyond reasonable doubt" |
Ask a question |
|
Proximity search - e.g.
- design /s defect (looks for the words in the same sentence)
- hearsay /p utterance (looks for the words in the same paragraph)
- provocation w/5 murder
|
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Wiley Interscience
WorldCat
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Content by: Electronic Services Librarian
Last reviewed: 8 January, 2010
