Module 5:
Infotrac
How to Access Infotrac
How to Search Infotrac

Contents:
Introduction
Module 1: How to Solve an Information Problem
Module 2: Search Techniques
Module 3: SD Library Network
Module 4: Proquest
Module 6: Lexis-Nexis
Module 7: OCLC Firstsearch
Module 8: 
Module 9: 
Module 10: 
Module 11: Internet Searching
Module 12: Evaluating Internet sources
Module 13: Scholarly vs. Popular
Module 14: Citing sources
Module 15: How to Get Material Not Available Online

Module 5: How to Search Infotrac

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1. On the search screen, a "subject guide" search box appears.  In the left margin, other search options can be chosen, including relevance, keyword, and advanced searches.  When first learning to use Infotrac, choose either a "subject guide" search or a "keyword" search by clicking on the appropriate radio button.  You can explore relevance and advanced searches on your own.

a. If you choose a Subject Guide search, Infotrac searches for the word(s) in a list of subject headings. (If the word(s) are not found in a subject heading, Infotrac will do a keyword search instead) A subject guide search is a good choice when you have a broad topic in mind rather than a very specific topic.

b. If you choose a Keyword search, Infotrac searches for the word(s) in titles, authors, abstracts, etc. A keyword search is a good choice when your topic is complex and requires combining words in various ways.

2. Enter words that describe the topic in the search box.

a. For a Subject Guide search, simply type in the words that describe the general topic.

For example, alternative medicine
For example, English language
For example, euthanasia

b. For a Keyword search, you can use the following search techniques

1) Logical (Boolean) operators: and, or, not

a) definitions of logical operators

• and specifies that a matching record must contain both words on either side of the operator

• or specifies that a matching record must contain one or the other or both words on either side of the operator

• not specifies that a matching record must contain the first word but must not contain the second.

b) logical operations are applied in a certain order:

• first not, then and, then or

• to control (override) the order of operation, use nesting operators

c) nesting operators -- parentheses are used to override the default order of operation.

• performs operation(s) within parentheses first; then performs operation(s) outside of parentheses

• Example: You want to search for articles about nutrition for dogs and cats. Each article should include the word "nutrition" and either the word "dogs" or the word "cats."

If you type:

dogs or cats and nutrition

Searchbank will first find articles that include both "cats" and "nutrition" and will then add to those results all the articles that contain the word "dogs."

However, if you type:

(dogs or cats) and nutrition

Searchbank will first find all the articles that contain either the word "dogs" or the word "cats"; then it will AND the results with "nutrition." The final results list will have articles which contain the word "nutrition" and either the word "dogs" or the word "cats."

2) Wildcards: * (asterisk)

• the asterisk (*) stands for any number of characters (for example, educat* retrieves educate, education, etc.)

3) Proximity searching (how close together the search words are to each other):

a) Words near each other -- to find articles in which the words appear either as a phrase or in which the words appear within a few words of each other, type the words without any special connectors. Example:

health clubs

Infotrac will search for articles in which these words appear as a phrase (the word health and the word clubs side-by-side and in that order) and it will also search for articles in which these words appear close to each other (in any order).

Note: in the order of operations, these are searched before the operators are searched.

b) Phrase searching -- In keyword and advanced searches,  use "w1" to connect words in phrases. Examples:

growth w1 hormone

attention w1 deficit w1 disorder

Note: in the order of operations, phrases are searched before the operators (and, or, not) are searched.

 

3.  Choose any limits to be made on the search -- such as date, journal title, full-text, etc. -- in the area beneath the search box.

4.  Click the search button.

5.  To display an item found in the results list, click on the link to "view" it.  Although the full article is often available for display, sometimes only a citation or a citation & abstract is available online.  You can tell from the wording of the "view" link what will be displayed:
View text = the full-text of the article will be displayed
View text with graphics = the full-text and pictures/images/graphs will be displayed
View abstract = the abstract will be displayed (not the full article)
View extended citation = only the citation will be displayed

6.  To print the article or e-mail the text to yourself, go to the bottom of the article where you can choose to reformat the article for browser print or to e-mail the text to yourself.

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You now know the basics to search Infotrac.  For a reminder of when you might find Infotrac useful, review Where to Start Research.

Click on the "Next" button below to continue on to learn about other information services.

END OF MODULE 5. 
Continue to next page to begin MODULE 6.

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