Access & logging on | Basic searching | Expanding & Limiting
Viewing results | Printing and Saving records | Advanced searching | Searching tips | Ending
this guide in Word
The FirstSearch Service provides access to over 50 databases of general and academic interest in most subject areas.
Access and Logging on
FirstSearch can be accessed via the World Wide Web at http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org/ or, from the Library and Computing Services homepage, follow the link under Library Resources to Databases.
On the FirstSearch Login screen, enter the Authorisation Number and Password. These are available from InfoHelp on presentation of your student ID card or via JCU email. Passwords are only available to JCU students and staff members.
Basic Searching
If you wish to search a specific database, use the Search a topic or database option and select the desired database from the menu. Otherwise, enter a search term for a list the most useful databases.From the list, you can click on a specific database or select up to 3 databases by ticking the boxes in the select column. Further information about each database can be viewed by clicking on the info icon. Once you have selected your database/s, you can redo your search and rank the results by relevance or date if you choose. Click on Search to perform the operation and display the list of results.
Expanding and Limiting your search
If you are searching a single database you can refine or expand your search (further) by clicking on the Limit or Find Related options at the top right of the screen.
You may limit your search by a number of categories including author, subject heading and year. This will reduce your search to a smaller number of more relevant hits. Click on the limit option/s of your choice or the + icon to display the full list of options. Click on a specific term or tick a number of boxes and then select Search. The date option allows you to select particular years or type in a range of years.
Related Subjects or Related Authors buttons sometimes appear allowing you to search for other records with the same authors or subject headings. Click on a specific term or tick the boxes of a number of terms to perform a new search. Click on the Search button to view your results.
The Find Related option will allow you to search for similar books, articles, web resources etc.
Viewing Results
The List of Records screen displays brief citations for your search results. Click on the title to view the full record and abstract, or select Detailed Record from the left sidebar menu. Use the previous and next arrows to move from page to page.Select a number of records by marking the boxes provided and then click on Marked Records in the left sidebar menu to display these. Options are available to Clear marks or Mark all.
Printing and Emailing Records
From any of the Records screens (List of Records, Detailed record or Marked records), you can select email or print from the top right of the screen. The email option allows you to specify either brief or detailed records, html or plain text format, and add your own notes. The Print button, will reformat the record on the screen and then you can use your browser to print.
Advanced Searching
Select the Advanced Searching option from the left sidebar menu and complete the search form. You may combine multiple terms, with AND, OR or NOT, in different fields and limit and rank your search.
Expert Searching will allow you to enter a complex search expression. Truncation, boolean and proximity operators are displayed on the screen below the search form.
The Previous Searches function will display in table format any searches that you have already performed. Click on the number of hits in the Results column to view the results of a previous search. You may combine previous searches using boolean operators, and/or add new terms to your search.
Searching Tips
Truncation: Place an asterisk at the end of a word stem to find all the variations.
Eg. comput* to search for computing, computer, computerisation etc.Plurals: Use a plus sign at the end of a word to include the plural forms with s and es.
Eg. batch+ to search for batch or batches.Help: Click on the Help button at the top left of any screen for context-specific help. A separate Help window will appear that you can minimise, move or close. Choose Help Topics at the top left of the Help screen for a full list of available help.
Ending
Click on Exit in the left sidebar menu to log out of the FirstSearch database.
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