Busse Library has access to numerous periodical indexes, full text databases and other resources from OCLC FirstSearch and other vendors. You will find the most frequently needed FirstSearch databases linked on our Periodical Indexes and Other Databases webpage. These include: CINAHL, PsycInfo, MLS, Basic Biosis, and WorldCat. These tips will assist you in using the FirstSearch resources more effectively.
When you encounter a FirstSearch resource, the opening page accessed through Busse Library will be headed OCLC FirstSearch Advanced Search. This allows you to look for and combine terms in up to three fields in a record. The dropdown menus to the right of the search area are used to select the fields. It also allows you to use the logical operators: and, or, and not from the dropdown menus on the left. See MMC Note # A12 for an explanation of logical operators.
You may also make other choices, such as year, for some databases. Several databases have special features. In ERIC you may select to search by document type: 'All' (documents and journals), 'Document' or 'Journal'. Select 'Journal' for only journal citations. In PsycInfo you may select among their document types, including limiting to 'journal article' or 'book'. MLA includes 'journal' and 'book' among its document types. CINAHL has two types: 'journal' and 'non-journal'. Check the limit possibilities for each database you use.
In WorldCat, the index of items held in libraries, you may request that they be ranked with the largest number of libraries owning the item at the top of the list. Click on the 'Rank by' option at the bottom left of the search screen and select 'Number of Libraries' before submitting your search. There are also a number of ways to limit such as: juvenile/not juvenile; fiction/not fiction; etc. Look at the various drop-down menus on the search page to make your choices.
Searching
Before you search you
may want to change the number of records you will view on each page.
The default is 10/page. To change this click on Options near the bottom of
the left sidebar menu. On the next page click on the drop down menu
for Record List Size to select the number of records or hits per
page. The larger the number, the fewer pages to scroll through.
Click on Set and it will return you to the search page.
You are reminded to plan your search strategy to use synonyms as well as the desired term(s) or concept(s) when searching. Remember language and jargon evolve and what may be the common term at one time may differ before and after that time. When you find an appropriate resource, see what associated terms are used by the authors and use those to continue your search.
To find both singular and plural forms of a word, key in the singular form followed by a + sign, e.g., horse+ .
To find an exact phrase, surround it with quotation marks, e.g., "guard dogs and horse riders". This is the title of an article.
To find variants of a word, use the wild card symbol *, e.g. wom*n will find women and woman in records and dog* will find dog, dogs, doggerel.
List of Records
Your list of records
or hits will include a citation and other information depending on the
database. If Busse Library owns the book or journal there will be
this icon 
at the end of the
record. There may also be links to full text files of the information.
Click on an article title to get the full record. The descriptors or
subject headings at the bottom of the record will link you to other items
with the same descriptors.
Interlibrary Loan
If not available in
the Busse Library or full text online, you may initiate an interlibrary
loan request by clicking on the record title to get full citation
information. At the bottom of the screen, click on the Ill icon 
to start the process. You will be contacted when the item
arrives at Busse Library. If you want to see if a nearby library owns an item so
you may use it there, click on the Libraries that own
item link at the top of record.
Marking Records
You may mark records
to prepare a list of citations for retrieval, especially those owned by
Busse Library. Click the box to the left of the record number. After
marking all you need, select and click on Marked Records in the left hand
column. Next click on the print icon 
on the Marked Records
page to reformat it for printing. Now click on File and Print to print to
the networked printer or local attached to your machine.
Printing Individual Records or Full Text
Files
It is strongly recommended that when you select a complete
citation or full text article linked to one of the FirstSearch databases,
you reformat it for printing by clicking on the print icon at the top
or bottom of the record or file. Then click on File and Print. If you
print at the Busse Library reference computers you will see the item URL
and the date accessed for the item at the top of the page. You will
need the element: http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org/ and the date accessed
when you prepare your literature cited page for papers and
assignments.
E-mailing Information
You may e-mail
lists of marked records, individual records or full text articles to
yourself or to your co-workers on a project. While on the appropriate
screen, click on the e-mail icon 
and complete the
form. We recommend that you send information as plain text and
not as html which some e-mail packages cannot
handle.
Other Features
You may use other
features of the FirstSearch software for more complex or advanced
searching. You may also need other specialized databases. Talk
with a Reference Librarian about your needs and for other searching tips.
We are here to offer assistance.
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updated 20 February 2006