FirstSearch Web - Guided Tour

In this tour, we'll show you how the OCLC FirstSearch service via the Web works.

FirstSearch is a collection of more than 70 databases in a wide variety of subject areas. These databases include citations to books, and to articles in journals, magazines and newspapers, and to films, computer software, and other material in a variety of subject areas. A number of FirstSearch databases also provide direct access to the full text of selected articles.

Database Areas

Choosing a Database Area is the first action you take in FirstSearch. Each Database Area takes you to a list of databases covering a subject area. Database Areas help focus your search for better search results. Select "All Areas" to see an alphabetical list of all databases.

 Database Selection

When you choose a database area, FirstSearch shows you the selection of databases in that area, and a brief description of each database. Click the name of the database to go to a search screen for that database.

 Database Information

When you click (Info) after a database name, FirstSearch shows you detailed information about that database.

 Searching

Once you select a database, you go to the search screen for that database. You can do a Basic Search (the default, shown here) or click the "Advanced Search" button.

When you initiate a basic search, FirstSearch applies search defaults. The default search is a subject keyword search of the subject-rich fields of a database record.

If you are doing a basic search, type your search term in the box,

choose the appropriate search index (e.g.subject, author, title, etc.)

and click the button located near the bottom of the screen.

Hints:
• To find words next to each other in exact order, place w between them (e.g. albion w college);
• To find words next to each other in any order, place n between them (e.g. higher n education);
• To search for singular and plural forms of search terms, add + at the end of the term (e.g. "briton+"= briton or britons).

From the search screen, you can also click Browse Index to see if your search word is in the database, or click the History button to redo a previous search or combine a previous search with a new search term.

 Browse Index

By browsing the index terms first, you can see if your search word, or a related word, is in the database. By clicking the term, you place the word in the search screen so you can search for it or combine it with other terms.

 History

• Search/Combine: to start your search
• Expand: to see search terms instead of search numbers only
• Return: to go back to the search screen

 Advanced Searching

Advanced searching allows you to structure a more precise search.

For an advanced search, enter search words or exact phrases. Select an index for each word or exact phrase by using the drop-down menus or use the default indexes displayed (e.g. subject, author, title). Select a Boolean operator (AND, OR, NOT) from the drop-down menus to combine your search terms or phrases. The default operator is AND.

Next, select the limits you want to apply. Search limits (e.g. Publication Years, Language, Publication Type, etc.) vary by database.

Hints:
• BROADEN your search by using OR to find records containing any (but not necessarily all) of your words.
  
  children or teenager+ or adolescent+
• NARROW your search by using AND to find records with both of your words.
  
  oil w spill and exxon
• EXCLUDE terms from your search by using NOT.
  
  shark+ not shark w bay

As you search in a database, a history of your searches is kept. You can click on the "History" button on the search screen to redo a previous search, combine previous searches, or combine a previous search with a new search term.

 Viewing Search Results

The status line at the top of the screen summarizes your results. In this case, a search for "browser" among full-text articles found 136 items. You view a list of brief records that identify items for which you searched. You can:

• view the full record by clicking on the title.

• tag and view a set of full records—Click on the 'Tag Record' box, for up to 20 records, to view or e-mail them in a batch.

• view the entire article on the screen by clicking on the Full text available online icon, when it's available. Otherwise, full text is available from the full record display.

• Limit your current search by adding limits such as publication year or language to narrow your search.

Related Subjects lets you select topical headings from your record results to further focus your search.

 Related Subjects

Related Subjects allows you to further focus your search using subject headings from your search results. It shows the occurrence of subject headings in the first 50 records retrieved, and indicates the percentage of the records in the database in which each subject heading appears. You can select up to three headings, either to limit your current search or start a new one. Each search started from Related Subjects is a new search.

 Full Record

For databases that cover items such as books, journals, or magazines, the full record consists of fields of information (such as author, title, year, etc.) which fully describe the item. The amount of information varies by database, with some including very detailed information, such as abstracts. For other databases that represent the full text of such items as directories, almanacs, or other full-text resources, full records may consist of a directory listing or a section or article from the work. You can:

• browse through records on the screen by selecting or

• print records (using the Print Screen function) to retain them for later use.

• E-mail records to your E-mail address (up to 20 tagged records at a time) to retain them in electronic format or print them at your own printer.

When viewing a full record, the option buttons allow you to find out what libraries have the item, or to find out whether you can get the item or display it on the screen.

Email full records

From a full record or when viewing a list of tagged records, you can e-mail the record(s) to your e-mail address. Up to 20 tagged records may be e-mailed.

There is no charge to e-mail, view, or print records from FirstSearch. The database you searched and your search statement will appear at the top of the records you e-mail. If you wish to include additional information, use the Comment box.

Get/Display Item

When the "Get/Display Item" button is active when viewing a full record, you can "get" the full text of the item by one or more methods. They are:

• Screen Display
  To view the full text of the item on the screen, in some databases a short-cut for displaying the full text on the screen is to simply click on the "Full Text Available Online" icon on the full record or the Results screen.

• E-mail
  To e-mail the full text of the item to your e-mail address.

• Interlibrary Loan
  To request the item via the FirstSearch/OCLC Interlibrary Loan Link. The request will be processed by your library.

• Fax, Mail, Rush Mail, or Rush Fax
  To order the full text of the item from a supplier (using a credit card or your supplier account number).

 There is a separate charge to your library for full text viewed onscreen or e-mailed. Your library determines if full text is available via on-screen display or e-mail.

If a method is not available for an item, the option button is grayed out.

Full Text Screen Display

If the 'Screen Display' button is active on the Get/Display Item screen, you can view the full text of the item online. From the screen display of the item, you can either print it using your Print Screen function, or e-mail the item to your e-mail address using the 'E-Mail Item' button, or use the 'Mail Document' option of your browser. When using the 'Mail Document' method, you must click on Screen Display first.

Libraries with Item

When viewing a full record, you can find out which libraries own the item. Click "Libraries with Item" from the option buttons displayed at the top of the record to get a list of the libraries followed by the full record for the item.

The list includes the following information for each library:

• Location-- The library's state, province, or region.

• Symbol-- The symbol identifies the library in the OCLC Interlibrary Loan system.

• Library-- The name of the library where the item is held.

• Interlibrary Loan status-- shows whether the library is a lender, i.e., accepts Interlibrary Loan requests, in the OCLC Interlibrary Loan system.

To see only the libraries that are lenders in the OCLC Interlibrary Loan system, click the "Show Lenders Only" box under Interlibrary Loan Status. The status "lender" does not necessarily mean that the lender will be able to lend that particular item,  just that the library participates in the OCLC Interlibrary Loan system.