Guide to FirstSearch - Introduction to the Database

FirstSearch is a comprehensive and complete reference service with a rich collection of databases and with links to the World Wide Web, library holdings, and interlibrary loan. It supports research in a wide range of subject areas with well-known bibliographic databases.

Contents

• Selecting a Database
• Basic Searching
• Advanced Searching
• Search Syntax
• Limiting
• Interpreting and Manipulating Search Results
• Requesting Items via Interlibrary Loan
• For Additional Help

Selecting a Database

If you have not logged onto a specific database through the Library's Article Index Page, you may select a database from the FirstSearch Home Page. From the databases area on the blue navigation bar at the left of the screen, you may select:

List All Databases - displays a complete list of all databases List Databases by Topic - groups databases by topic area
• Suggest Best - if you need help selecting a database, this function will scan databases for your search terms. You may select the databases that contain the most potential results for your terms.

At any time, you may click on the   icon for information on a database.

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Basic Searching

The sample search below is searching the MLA database for documents containing the keywords "forster" AND "howards end"

Note: if you need help with using the database, simply click on the  icon.

Advanced Searching

Note: If your search does not give you the desired results, you may try browsing the index. You may browse the indexes before you search to verify the spelling or format (plural, tense, etc.) of search terms. To use the browse indexes feature, click the icon .

Search Syntax

There are several search syntax strategies that will help you expand or limit your search results.

Plurals- To search for word and its plural form (-s or -es), you may add a plus sign (+) after the singular form. Examples:

car+ will retrieve both car and cars
• tax+ will retrieve both tax and taxes

To search for plurals of words that change form, use the Boolean operator OR. Example: goose or geese.

Truncation- This feature allows you to search for a term and its variants by entering at least the first three letters of the word, followed by an asterisk. Examples:

teach* will retrieve teach, teaches, teacher
• franc* will retrieve franc, france, frances, francophone, etc.

Wildcards- This feature is used to represent x number of characters in a search term. Wildcards are useful when you are not sure of the spelling of a term, or if there are alternate spellings.

There are two wildcards that FirstSearch uses:

The pound sign # represents a single character.
1. A question mark ?, alone, or with a number represents up to nine characters. If used alone, ? represents any number of characters, otherwise, you may use ? with a number if you know the "maximum number of characters the wildcard will replace."

Examples (taken from FirstSearch help screens):

wom#n will retrieve woman and women

col?r will retrieve color, colour, colonizer and colorimeter

colo?1r will retrieve color, colour but not colonizer or colorimeter

Proximity operators- to find search terms within a certain numerical distance of other search terms, you may use proximity operators.

w (with)- type W between two terms to search for items that contain both terms, in the exact order typed, with no words between them. Insert w and a number (1-25) between terms to search for items that contain both terms, in the exact order typed, with no more than x number of other words between them. Examples:

dog w food will find items containing dog and then food with no words in between them.
• dog w4 food will find items containing first dog and then food within four words of each other

n (near)- use this operator to search for words containing two terms, in any order, with no words between them. Insert n and a number (1-25) to search for items containing both words, in any order, with x words between them. Examples:

said n he will find items containing said and he in any order, with no words between them.
• garbage n4 truck will find items containing both words, in any order, within four words of each other

Limiting

You may further refine your search using limiting functions within the Advanced Searching screen. You may limit to your search to the following parameters:

• You may use the drop down menus next to the search boxes to limit your search terms to specific fields, such as author (refers to an article/book chapter's author), subject, title, etc.

• Using drop down menus, you may also limit your search by year, document type, and language. You may also, by checking the box marked "items in my library," limit your search to items owned by Middlebury College.

The search shown below is limited to the years 1990-2001, journal articles, English Language, and to items owned by Middlebury.

Interpreting and Manipulating Search Results

When you are happy with your search strategy, click on "Search."  If your search is successful, you will be presented with a list of results that will look something like this:

According to the above results list, record #1 consists of the following:

Title: Beyond Necessity: The Consumption of Class, the Production of Status, and the Persistence of Inequality Author: Sharon O'Dair Source (Book or Journal Title): New Literary History: A Journal of Literary History, Volume 61, no. 1 (March 2000), p. 181-286
• Document type: Journal Article

and...we can tell that Middlebury owns the item by the icon .  Click on individual titles to see detailed records.  To find out the location and format of the item, click on "search the catalog at Middlebury College."

You may select records that interest you by marking them. This is done by clicking the checkbox next to each numbered record:

Then, you may show all the records you chose by clicking "Marked Records" under the "Results" menu in the blue bar at the left of the screen:

You may then either print your list by clicking on the Print  icon, or e-mail the list to yourself by clicking on the e-mail icon.

Requesting Items via Interlibrary Loan

If you find an item which the Library does not own, you may request it via Interlibrary Loan.

To request an item, you must first access the item's full record. This is done by clicking on the item's hyperlinked title:

Near the top of the item's full record page, click on the ILL  icon. You will be redirected to Middlebury's Interlibrary Loan page.

To use the service, you must be a registered user. First time users may register by clicking here, and filling out the form.

For Additional Help

If you require additional help, please go to the Reference Desk at the Library, or call 443-5496. You may also use the library's electronic reference service by clicking here: Ask a librarian.

You may also click on the Help  icon at any time.

(examples taken and adapted from FirstSearch Help Screens)

Send suggestions for changes or additions to Electronic Services Librarian.

Last updated 11/30/04.