Help for E-Resources/Article Databases

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« Return to List of Quick Guides

Searching

  1. Select database from the UW-Madison Libraries Web site.
  2. Click on SIMPLE SEARCH.
  3. Click in the box next to FULL TEXT and type a word or phrase in the search box.
  4. Click on SEARCH.

Combining Terms

  1. Click on BOOLEAN SEARCH.
  2. Select AND or OR from the drop down menu.

    Use OR to connect similar terms. OR broadens your search.

    • Example: sleep or dream

    Use AND to connect separate concepts. AND narrows your search.

    • Example: children and sleep

Truncating Terms

Use * to replace one or more characters at the end of a search term.

  • Example: hard* (retrieves hard, harden, hardship)

Proximity Searching

  • Click on PROXIMITY SEARCH.
  • Type a word or phrase in search boxes.
  • Select proximity operators from drop down menus.
  • Select proximity numbers from drop down menus.

Combining Search Sets

Not Available

Author Searching

  1. Click on BIBLIOGRAPHY SEARCH.
  2. Type the author's name in any order in the box to the right of AUTHOR
    Example: ralph waldo emerson
  3. Click on SEARCH.

Displaying Search Results

Results of a simple search are displayed key word in context, with links to higher levels: poem, title, source, etc.

  1. Use the SCROLL BAR to move through results.
  2. Click on page numbers to move to the next or previous group of records.
  3. Click on desired link to work to display the full text.
  4. Use the SCROLL BAR to move through text.
  5. Click on BACK to return to search results.

Selecting Records

Not Available

Downloading Search Results

Only full text articles can be downloaded.

  1. Insert a disk into a drive.
  2. Display record to be downloaded.
  3. Use browser save function to download.
  4. Type your disk drive, filename, and extension in the FILE NAME box.
    Example: a:myfile.txt
  5. Change SAVE AS TYPE drop down box to TEXT FILE.
  6. Click on SAVE.
  7. Click on BACK to return to search results.

Emailing Search Results

Not Available

Beginning a New Search, Exiting, and Getting Help

Beginning a New Search

  • Click on MAIN PAGE from a search results screen.

Exiting

  • Click on HOME at the top of the screen to return to the UW-Madison Libraries Web site.

Getting Help

  • Click on HELP for on-screen help.

For further assistance, consult library staff.

Databases Covered by This Guide

  • American Poetry Database
  • Database of African-American Poetry
  • English Poetry Database
  • English Verse Drama Database
  • Goethe
  • Patrologia Latina Database