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Searching Dialog: The Overall Search Process
Introduction
This is a facile, short-hand summary of the entire search process. It is intended to be no more than a suggested outline, as we all find our own ways to what works best for us.
Reference Interview
State the Information Question
Selecting the Most Appropriate Databases
Planning the Search
Evaluating the Search (Search Analysis)
Searching Dialog: Planning the Search with a Concept Chart & Worksheet
Introduction
Information Need
State the Topic
Concept Chart
Steps in Using the Concept Chart A Below
music new york concerts manhattan bands new york
city musicians big apple
or
(add
related terms)
Steps in Using the Concept Chart B Below
Plan Search Algorithms/Statements/Strategies
Select the appropriate database to search.
Logon
Execute Your Search Strategy / Expression / Algorithm
Searching Dialog: A Step-by-Step Search DialogClassic/Text Example
Introduction
This is also a step-by-step look at the entire process of searching for records on Dialog, but this time we will use DialogClassic illustrated by a specific example problem. Again, I am going over some of the same steps, but this time we are looking at an example problem.
Resource
Important: Remember Pause, Logout, Logout Hold, Save Temp
Information Need: Example
State the Topic
Using the Concept Chart
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college students |
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academic achievement |
or (add related terms) |
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university students |
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academic performance |
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students, higher education |
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grade point average |
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grades |
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GPA |
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Plan the Search Strategy
This series of searches are based on the individual sets (A, B, and C) of concepts are were divided through the use of the Concept Chart. Steps (individual searches) 1-3 reflect the three sets of concepts identified above. Each one provides a broad recall of related subjects.Step 5 starts the process of targeting the search, the process of increasing the precision of the search and reducing the size of the result, specifically the number of returned records.
Step 6 increases the precision of the search by adding two limits, specifically limiting the results to the English language and records published during or after 2003.
1. ss student? and (college or university)
2. ss nutrition or diet or eating
3. ss grades or (academic(w)performance) or GPA
4. Combine the resulting sets.
5. s s4 and s8 and s14
Note: When you combine sets only use the Select ( s ) command, NOT Select Steps ( ss ).6. s s15/eng and py>=2003
Select the appropriate database to search.
Connect to DialogClassic
Go to the URL: http://www.dialogclassic.com
Logon
Enter your unique ID number and password and click on "Go."
DialogClassic Welcome Screen
This is the initial screen that you see for searching DialogClassic. As you can see, it is primarily text-based just like the telnet-access product, but, at the bottom of the page, you have the Command entry box and buttons more made possible by Web technologies.
Begin a DialIndex Search to find candidate databases
Remember that this is ONLY intended to find candidate databases, NOT to find the desired records themselves.Enter the following in the Command entry field. Follow all commands by (in DialogClassic) clicking on the button. In the text-based interface, you just hit a return.
Select the Files to Search
You select from the databases which ones to search. This is based on a combination of the number of occurrences of the terms in the databases plus the subject focus of the databases.Enter the following in the Command entry field to begin ( "b" ) in the ranked databases that you want to search.
Execute Your Search Strategy / Expression / Algorithm
Now, you search on the different sets of concepts and combine the results of your searches.1. ss student? and (college or university)
2. ss nutrition or diet or eating
3. ss grades or (academic(w)performance) or GPA
4. Combine the resulting sets.
5. s s4 and s8 and s14
Note: When you combine sets only use the Select ( s ) command, NOT Select Steps ( ss ).6. s s15/eng and py>=2003
Display the Results
Pause, Logout, Logout Hold, Save Temp
It is very important for you to contain the costs of your search in Dialog. I'll be talking more about this, but the following are some of the most important tools for you to use to do so.
Analyze the Results
Modify Your Search Strategy / Expression / Algorithm
Enter Your Revised Search Strategy / Expression / Algorithm
Display the Results
Logout
Searching Dialog: Selecting Databases to Search
Scope
Resources for selecting databases
DIALOG DATABASES AVAILABLE TO
SJSU SLIS STUDENTS
(As of September 2005)
ERIC INSPEC
(1969-present) INSPEC
(1969-1982) INSPEC
(1983-present) BIOSIS Previews®
(1969-present) NTIS - National
Technical Information Service Social
SciSearch® Ei
Compendex® Business &
Industry AGRICOLA PsycINFO®
Psychological Abstracts Business &
Management Practices (BAMP) ISMEC: Mechanical
Engineering Abstracts Gale Group PROMT®
(1990-present) Gale Group F&S
Index Dialog Global
Reporter NCJRS Employee Benefits
Infosource Weldasearch® Foundation
Directory Foundation Grants
Index Oceanic
Abstracts Meteorological and
Geoastrophysical Abstracts Asia-Pacific World Surface Coatings
Abstracts METADEX®: Metals
Science Aluminum Industry
Abstracts SciSearch®: a Cited
Reference Science Database 1990+ Linguistics and
Language Behavior Abstracts Sociological
Abstracts America: History and
Life Historical
Abstracts Enviroline® Pollution
Abstracts Gale Group Magazine
Database SPORTDiscus PAIS
International CAB
Abstracts Food Science and
Technology Abstracts TSCA Chemical
Substances Inventory Foodline®: Food
Science and Technology Foodline®:
International Food Market Data BIOSIS Previews®
(1993-present) ARTbibliographies
Modern GeoArchive Foodline®: Current
Food Legislation LISA (Library &
Information Science Abstracts) SPIN® Transportation Research
Information Services (TRIS) Inside
Conferences GPO Monthly
Catalog World
Textiles Environmental
Bibliography Energyline® SEDBASE: Side Effects
of Drugs (1996 Version) Elsevier
BIOBASE EMBASE®
(1993-present) EMBASE®
(1974-present) International
Pharmaceutical Abstracts Gale Group Management
Contents® Life Sciences
Collection Conference Papers
Index Foods
Adlibra Gale Group
Aerospace/Defense Markets &
Technology® Grants Mental Health
Abstracts Gale Group Business
A.R.T.S.(SM) GeoRef Manual, Alternative and
Natural Therapy (MANTIS) IHS International
Standards and Specifications TableBase JICST-EPlus - Japanese
Science & Technology TEME - Technology &
Management FLUIDEX (Fluid
Engineering Abstracts) General Science
Abstracts/Fulltext Wilson Applied Science
& Technology Abstracts Disclosure® Energy Science and
Technology AESIS (Australia's
Geoscience, Minerals, and Petroleum Database) Aerospace
Database Nuclear Science
Abstracts Wasteinfo Gale Group National
Newspaper Index UBM Industry
News Encyclopedia of
Associations Research Centers and
Services Directory Brands and Their
Companies Water Resources
Abstracts ICONDA - International
Construction Database Textile Technology
Digest U.S.
Copyrights British Education
Index TRADEMARKSCAN®-U.K. TRADEMARKSCAN®-Canada Pharmacontacts Standard & Poor's
Daily News Standard & Poor's
Corporate Descriptions plus News NewsRX Weekly
Reports Book Review
Index EconLit Readers' Guide
Abstracts Full Text Wilson Social Sciences
Abstracts Wilson Biological &
Agricultural Index PASCAL (Tacoma) The News
Tribune Washington Post
Online The Kansas City
Star Gale Group Trade &
Industry Database Gale Group Health &
Wellness Database(SM) Gale Group Legal
Resource Index MEDLINE®
(1993-present) MEDLINE®
(1966-present) ToxFile DIOGENES® FDA
Regulatory Updates CANCERLIT® Gale Group PROMT®
(1972-1989) Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSHTIC®) CAB
HEALTH AgeLine EventLine Healthcare
Organizations Insurance Periodicals
Index Pharm-Line® Quotations
Database ONTAP® Art
Literature International (RILA) Advertiser and Agency
Red Books: Advertisers Advertiser and Agency
Red Books: Agencies Architecture
Database Federal
Register Zoological Record
Online® F-D-C
Reports Health Devices
Sourcebook® NDA Pipeline: New
Drugs The Bibliography of the
History of Art® Art Literature
International (RILA) Industry Trends and
Analysis FINDEX Health Devices
Alerts® Information Science
Abstracts AGRIS
International ONTAP® CA
SEARCH®: Chemical Abstracts® ONTAP® BIOSIS
Previews® ONTAP® NTIS -
National Technical Information Service ONTAP® Social
SciSearch® ONTAP® Ei
Compendex® ONTAP®
AGRICOLA Gale Group
Newsearch ONTAP®
PsycINFO® Psychological Abstracts ONTAP®
INSPEC TRADEMARKSCAN®-U.S.
Federal TRADEMARKSCAN®-Community
Trademarks (CTM) TRADEMARKSCAN®-Spain Drug Information
Fulltext Gale Directory of
Online, Portable, and Internet Databases ONTAP®
CHEMSEARCH Internet & Personal
Computing Abstracts Marquis Who's
Who® Bowker Biographical
Directory Abstracts in New
Technologies and Engineering (ANTE) MathSci® PAPERCHEM
(non-subscriber) Electric Power
Database WATERNET TRADEMARKSCAN®-U.S.
State ONTAP® Gale Group
Magazine Database PIRA (Packaging, Paper,
Printing ... PIRA (Management and
Marketing Abstracts ONTAP® CAB
Abstracts ONTAP® Food Science
and Technology Abstracts Packaging Science and
Technology Abstracts ONTAP®
INPADOC/Family and Legal Status ONTAP®
MEDLINE® ONTAP® Arts &
Humanities Search® SoftBase: Reviews,
Companies, and Products API EnCompass:
News (non-subscriber) AP News (January 2000
to present) UPI News (June
1999-present) Canadian Business and
Current Affairs Fulltext DIALOG Defense
Newsletters Federal Research in
Progress (FEDRIP) (Unabridged) Materials Business
File ONTAP®
EMBASE® Gale Group Computer
Database ONTAP® D&B -
Dun's Market Identifiers® ONTAP®
Investext® ONTAP®
CLAIMS®/U.S. Patents ONTAP® Derwent
World Patents Index ONTAP® Gale Group
Marketing & Advertising Reference
Service® ONTAP® Aerospace
Database BioBusiness®
(1985-1998) BioCommerce Abstracts
and Directory Biography Master
Index ONTAP®
DIALINDEX® GEOBASE Engineered Materials
Abstracts® ONTAP®
SciSearch®: a Cited Reference Science
Database ONTAP®
TRADEMARKSCAN®-U.S. Federal Bible (King James
Version) Magill's Survey of
Cinema CHEMNAME® Chapman and Hall
Chemical Database The Merck Index
Online(SM) Analytical
Abstracts Pesticide Fact
File BioBusiness®
(1985-1998) Chemical Engineering
and Biotechnology Abstracts Chemical Safety
Newsbase Chem-Intell Chemical
Manufacturing Plants Chemical Business
NewsBase PLASPEC Materials
Selection Database Polymer
Online RAPRA: Rubber and
Plastics Chemstats Material Safety Data
Sheets - OHS Material Safety Summary
Sheets - OHS Material Safety Label
Data - OHS Ceramic
Abstracts Registry of Toxic
Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS®) CHEMTOX®
Online JAPIO - Patent
Abstracts of Japan European Patents
Fulltext WIPO/PCT Patents
Fulltext Derwent Biotechnology
Abstracts Current Biotechnology
Abstracts Specialty Chemicals
Update Program (SCUP) (non-subscriber) Directory of Chemical
Producers - Products Directory of Chemical
Producers - Companies New
Scientist Science French
Patents Baton Rouge
Advocate ONTAP® Analytical
Abstracts Denver
Post PEDS: Defense Program
Summaries ONTAP® Beilstein
Online Beilstein
Online Boston
Herald Las Vegas
Review-Journal CHEMSEARCH CA SEARCH®:
Chemical Abstracts® (1967-present) DIALMAIL-DIALOG DIALOG
Homebase(SM) Chronolog®
Newsletter DIALINDEX® DIALOG Product Code
Finder DIALOG Journal Name
Finder DIALOG
Bluesheets DIALOG Company Name
Finder UnCover® REMARC pre-1900 and
n.d. REMARC
1900-1939 REMARC
1940-1959 REMARC
1960-1969 REMARC
1970-1980 LC MARC -
Books Fort Worth
Star-Telegram British Books in
Print MediConf: Medical
Conferences and Events Tampa
Tribune Charleston
Newspapers SciSearch®: a Cited
Reference Science Database 1974-1989+ Art
Abstracts Wilson Humanities
Abstracts Full Text Education
Abstracts Library
Literature Arts & Humanities
Search® Current Contents
Search® American Medical
Association Journals New England Journal of
Medicine The
Lancet® American Library
Directory USP DI® Volume I,
Drug Information for the Health Care
Professional USP Dictionary of USAN
and International Drug Names Incidence and
Prevalence Database (IPD) Info Latino
America ExtraMED Public Opinion Online
(POLL) Gale Database of
Publications and Broadcast Media New York Times® -
Fulltext (90 days) Financial Times
Fulltext The Irish
Times Gale Group Company
Intelligence® Ulrich's
International Periodicals Directory Delphes European
Business Newsweek (Long Beach)
Press-Telegram Columbus (Georgia)
Ledger-Enquirer Duluth
News-Tribune (Fort Wayne) The
News-Sentinel Tallahassee
Democrat CanCorp Canadian
Financials (Phoenix) The Arizona
Republic/The Phoenix Gazette St. Louis
Post-Dispatch Detroit Free
Press Extel Financial Cards
from Primark Extel News Cards from
Primark Teikoku Databank:
Japanese Companies ACNielsen Market
Statistics/Canada Asian Company
Profiles Fuji-Keizai Market
Research ESPICOM Pharmaceutical
and Medical Company Profiles ESPICOM Country Health
Care Reports ESPICOM
Telecommunications/Power Reports Directory of Corporate
Affiliations DIALOG Investment
Research Index D&B - Dun's
Electronic Business Directory D&B - Dun's Market
Identifiers® D&B - International
Dun's Market Identifiers® D&B - Canadian
Dun's Market Identifiers® D&B - European
Dun's Market Identifiers® D&B - Who Owns
Whom Standard & Poor's
Register - Biographical Standard & Poor's
Register - Corporate American Business
Directory Bangor Daily
News Canadian Business
Directory EdgarPlus
Index Thomas Register
Online® (Gary)
Post-Tribune Harris Business
Profiler (Boca Raton) The
News Macon
Telegraph SEC Online -
Annual Reports SEC Online - 10-K
and 20-F Reports SEC Online - 10-Q
Reports SEC Online -
Proxy Reports Investext® MG Financial/Stock
Statistics Experian Business
Credit Profiles M&A
Filings Insider Trading
Monitor TFSD Initial Public
Offerings TFSD Worldwide Mergers
& Acquisitions Wilson Business
Abstracts Full Text TFSD Joint Ventures
& Alliances Mergent Company
Snapshots Mergent Corporate
News Reports CorpTech® Directory
of Technology Companies Spokane
Spokesman-Review ICC British Company
Directory ICC British Company
Financial Datasheets Key Note Market
Research ICC British Company
Annual Reports Euromonitor Market
Research Journals Snapshots International
Market Research Asian Business
Intelligence Reports Decision Resources
Pharmaceutical Industry Reports Gale Group Marketing
& Advertising Reference Service® PIERS Exports (U.S.
Ports) PIERS Exports
(Mexico) PIERS Imports (U.S.
Ports) PIERS Imports
(Mexico) Aberdeen American
News Roanoke
Times Population
Demographics Augusta (GA)
Chronicle Gale Group
Globalbase Kompass
USA Kompass Latin
America FI Defense Market
Intelligence Reports Kompass
Asia/Pacific Kompass Central/Eastern
Europe Kompass
Canada Early Edition -
U.S. Early Edition -
Canada U.S. Newswire (May
1999-present) Africa News (June
1999-present) ITAR/TASS News (June
1999-present) Knight-Ridder/Tribune
Business News Bridge World Markets
News Business Wire (March
1999-present) Japan Economic
Newswire(SM) Plus PR Newswire (May
1999-present) Agence France-Presse
English Wire Agence France-Presse
International French Wire Canada
NewsWire South American Business
Information (SABI) Xinhua News (June
1999-present) Asia Intelligence
Wire EIU:
ViewsWire Gale Group New Product
Announcements/Plus® (NPA/Plus) EIU: Economist Group
business magazines Business
Week The McGraw-Hill
Companies Publications Online American Banker
Financial Publications Bond Buyer Full
Text EIU: Country
Analysis EIU: Country Risk and
Forecasts EIU: Business
Newsletters Los Angeles
Times The Boston
Globe The Philadelphia
Inquirer San Jose Mercury
News Gale Group Newsletter
Database The Journal of
Commerce Newsday and New York
Newsday San Francisco
Chronicle Denver Rocky Mountain
News The Charlotte
Observer Grand Forks
Herald (Boulder) Daily
Camera Contra Costa
Papers Consumer
Reports Television and Radio
Transcripts Daily Gale Group Newswire
ASAP U.S. Patents Fulltext
(1971-1979) U.S. Patents Fulltext
(1980-1989) U.S. Patents Fulltext
(1990-present) TRADEMARKSCAN®-France TRADEMARKSCAN®-Benelux TRADEMARKSCAN®-Denmark Federal News
Service TRADEMARKSCAN®-Switzerland TRADEMARKSCAN®-Austria TRADEMARKSCAN®-Monaco U.S. Newswire
(1995-April 1999) ITAR/TASS News
(1996-May 1999) TRADEMARKSCAN®-International
Register (WIPO) TRADEMARKSCAN®-Germany TRADEMARKSCAN®-Italy Computer News
Fulltext TRADEMARKSCAN®-Liechtenstein Omaha
World-Herald Bradenton
Herald DATASTAR PARKING
FILE Commerce Business Daily
(Menu Version) DIALOG
Telecommunications Newsletters COMPUSERVE
NEWS St. Paul Pioneer
Press The Miami
Herald USA
Today (Portland) The
Oregonian (New Orleans) The
Times-Picayune The Seattle
Times (Akron) Beacon
Journal Richmond
Times-Dispatch Times/Sunday Times
(London) Independent
(London) The Palm Beach
Post The Atlanta Journal/The
Atlanta Constitution (Baltimore) The
Sun The Christian Science
Monitor (Los Angeles) Daily
News The Washington
Times Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette (Albany) The Times
Union (Columbia) The
State Lexington
Herald-Leader The Cincinnati Post/The
Kentucky Post The Wichita
Eagle (Minneapolis) Star
Tribune (Cleveland) The Plain
Dealer South China Morning
Post Canadian
Newspapers Asia-Pacific
News The Philadelphia Daily
News San Francisco
Examiner The Buffalo
News Dayton Daily
News St. Petersburg
Times Seattle
Post-Intelligencer Anchorage Daily
News (Allentown) The Morning
Call The Fresno
Bee (Memphis) The
Commercial Appeal (Norfolk) The
Ledger-Star/The Virginian-Pilot (Madison) The Capital
Times/Wisconsin State Journal (New Jersey) The
Record (Biloxi) Sun
Herald Asia-Pacific Business
Journals Latin American
News Emerging Markets and
Middle East News IBIS World Market
Research IPO
Maven New Zealand
Papers Group Publications
(United Kingdom) Asia-Pacific
Directory Euromonitor
Strategy Datamonitor Market
Research Euromonitor Market
Research BCC Market
Research Frost & Sullivan
Market Intelligence Kalorama Information
Market Research EIU: Market
Research Beverage Marketing
Research Reports Archives of Family
Medicine Archives of Facial
Plastic Surgery EdgarPlus -
Williams Act Filings EdgarPlus -
Prospectuses EdgarPlus -
Registration Statements EdgarPlus - 6-K,
8-K, and 10-C Filings EdgarPlus -
Annual Reports EdgarPlus - 10-K
and 20-F Filings EdgarPlus - 10-Q
Filings EdgarPlus - Proxy
Statements Journal of American
Medical Association American Journal Of
Diseases of Children Archives of
Dermatology (Myrtle Beach) The Sun
News Archives of Medical
News Archives of General
Psychology Archives of Internal
Medicine Archives of
Neurology Archives of
Ophthalmology Archives of
Otoloryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Archives of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine Archives of
Surgery ONTAP® The Boston
Globe ONTAP® Energy
Science and Technology ONTAP® Chemical
Economics Handbook ONTAP® Gale Group
Computer Database Africa News (1996-May
99) ONTAP® TULSA
(Petroleum Abstracts) Bridge World Markets
News (backfile) PR Newswire
(backfile) Agence France-Presse
English Wire (backfile) Agence France-Presse
International French Wire (backfile) Canada NewsWire
(backfile) South American Business
Information (backfile) (SABI) Xinhua News (1996-May
1999) ONTAP®
METADEX®: Metals Science AP News (July
1984-December 1999) Federal News Service
(backfile) UPI News (1996-May
1999) SEARCH
HOLD Albuquerque
Newspapers Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel Sarasota
Herald-Tribune