Introduction
In this tutorial you will learn to work with Academic Search Complete, a multidisciplinary database, which provides access to full text periodicals, including peer-reviewed journals. In addition, it provides bibliographic information and abstracts for thousands of publications, including reports, conference proceedings, etc. More specifically you will learn to:
- locate the database and access it from off-campus locations
- conduct a keyword search of the database
- evaluate your search results
- access full text
- e-mail, print or save the results
Locate and access Academic Search Complete
Using the library homepage to your right (for future reference note the url: http://www.libraries.uc.edu), look under the search box. Under the Popular Article Resources header, click on Academic Search Complete.
If you are off-campus, you will be prompted to login by entering your Central Login Service (CLS) username and password (the ones you use for One Stop, Blackboard, and other CLS enabled systems).
You are now in Academic Search Complete.
Construct a keyword search
1/2Let's assume that we are searching for articles on the risks or dangers of using Facebook and ways people can be protected against them.
What are some important keywords for this topic?
Construct a keyword search
2/2Now combine your keywords into an effective search statement.
Which way of entering your search will get the best results?
Hint
If you enter several words into one box, Academic Search Complete will try to search for them together in the order you typed them, so in many cases no matches will be found with multiple words.
To find ALL words, but not necessarily together, type AND between them: risks AND facebook AND protect. Alternatively, type them in different boxes because they are automatically connected by AND.
To find either of the words, use OR: risks OR dangers.
To find forms of the word, use *: risk* will find risk, risks, risky, risking, etc.
Parentheses () specify the order in which the database will search for your terms.
Search Academic Search Complete
Type (risk* OR danger*) AND facebook AND protect* into the first search box. Click the Search button.
Hint
You can type the words and phrases in different boxes. By default the boxes are connected by AND. In that case you can leave out the parentheses.
Evaluate your search results
1/3In the list of your results each item has a brief description, which contains its title, when and where it was published, length, special information about the item (for example, photographs, if applicable), and subject headings.
This brief information may help you to identify if the item is relevant to your search and if it meets the requirements of your assignment. To get to the detailed record you need to click on the article title.
Scroll down the results list to locate the title (Spot and Avoid Facebook Scams). Click on the title.
Evaluate your search results
2/3Look at the article record and answer the following questions.
1. How many pages are there in the article?
2. When was the article published?
Evaluate your search results
3/3Will this article be useful for your 8-10 page paper? (Risks or dangers of using Facebook and ways people can be protected against them)
Access article full text
1/3While the abstract is very useful for evaluating the relevance of the article, it cannot be used in place of the actual text of the article. Some databases include just abstracts; others may include both abstract and full text. Full text may be available in HTML and/or PDF format. All databases to which UC Libraries subscribe have links to the tool for finding full text.
For the current article you should see both HTML and PDF icons.
Access article full text
2/3When HTML full text is available it is located below the article information. HTML text looks like a regular Web page. It may or may not include images or graphs and does not provide page numbers.
You can get to HTML full text by scrolling down or clicking on the HTML icon.
PDF full text looks like printed pages from a journal or magazine, possibly in color. This format is great if you need illustrations or graphs. You can also see the original page numbers. When you click the PDF full text icon, the text will open in a viewer. If you want to print the text you will need to click the Print icon on the viewer toolbar.
To go back click the Detailed Record icon at the top left.
Access article full text
3/3
If HTML or PDF full text is not available, click the Article Link icon.
The resulting screen will show you if the article is available online in other databases licensed by UC. The results may look like as shown in the thumbnail.
When available, click on the Article link under Links to Content. Sometimes it takes several clicks to get to the PDF file in another database. If the Article link is not available click on the Journal or Database link (in this order of preference). Then you need to search the journal or database content for the article title (paste it into the search box, if it is available) or browse to the year, volume, and issue that contains your article.
E-mail, print or save your search results
1/2Click the e-mail icon under Tools on the right.
Note that by default both HTML and PDF full text will be attached to the e-mail message. This only happens if full text was available in this database. If you had to use Article Linker to get to full text from a different database, you need to e-mail the full text from that database.
E-mail, print or save your search results
2/2If you clicked OK now, you would e-mail the citation and abstract as you saw it on the record screen. If you want your citation formatted in a particular style, for example, APA or MLA, you need to select it from the Citation format drop-down menu. Select the style you need, type in your e-mail address, and click OK. Please note that when you e-mail a formatted citation abstract will not be included.
Remember also that you need to verify automatically generated citations against the style guide.
The tips above apply to printing and saving your search results.
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