- Check near the top of the search screen to see that the option 'Search: thesaurus' is marked. If not, click on that option.
- Click inside the search box next to 'Keyword or Phrase'.
- Inside the search box, enter stress. Then click on
the search button
- On the next screen, 'Searching on STRESS$,' we are presented with a list of valid
subject headings that contain the term 'stress'. For this example search, click on the View
Thesaurus option following stress (the first item in the list) to view
its thesaurus entry
Note: As a general rule, always select the View Thesaurus option.
The thesaurus entry is a cognitive tool that helps us to clarify our thinking and
to choose the most appropriate subject headings for our search. It displays broader,
narrower, and related subject headings as well as scope notes when they are available.
If another subject heading from the thesaurus display were to seem more appropriate,
you could click on it to see the thesaurus entry for that heading.
- On the 'Thesaurus display for STRESS' screen that appears, click
on the focus option following STRESS to find records where this term
is listed as a major subject heading.
Note:When much has been published on a subject, using the focus option retrieves
only those items where our topic has central importance, thereby avoiding information overload.
The search option allows us to see all publications that deal with the topic and is more appropriate
for subject areas where less is published. When in doubt try both options and compare results.
- The next screen presents us with the message 'You searched for STRESS.MAJT.',
tells us that more than 18,000 records match the search, and gives us the first 8
records from the list.
- Good Work!
- Now click on the Search Menu option on the right hand side
of the PsycINFO screen. NOTE that the results of your first search have been
saved as a set (s1) in a box at the top of the search screen.
- Now, we will go through the same steps for the concept eating pathology that
we did for stress.
- Make sure the box next to 'thesaurus' is checked and
that you have clicked inside the search box next to 'keyword or phrase'.
- Inside the search box, enter eating pathology and then click
on the search button.
- On the next screen, headed 'Searching on EATING PATHOLOGY$,' we get the
message "No subjects in the thesaurus match the term EATING PATHOLOGY."
- Click on 'Get suggested terms from the thesaurus'
- On the next screen, entitled 'Suggested Subject Headings for EATING PATHOLOGY',
we find a list of the most common subjects assigned to records that include "eating
pathology" as keywords.
- In looking over the list, we will assume that Eating Disorders is closest
to the concept we want. Click on the View Thesaurus option following
this subject heading to view its thesaurus entry.
- On the 'Thesaurus display for EATING DISORDERS' screen, click on
the expand/focus option following EATING DISORDERS to find records
with this term as a major subject heading OR with a major subject heading of any
of the narrower terms in the thesaurus entry (those terms directly below EATING DISORDERS
that are preceded by small minus signs)
- The next screen tells us that more than 15000 records match the search, and gives
us the first 8 records from the list.
- Click on the Search Menu option on the top right hand of
the PsycINFO screen. NOTE that the results of this second search have been
added as a set (s2) in the box at the top of the search screen.
- To form a new set of records for items that combine both concepts, click
in the check boxes in the Combine column to the right of both s1 and
s2. Make sure the pulldown box following 'Combine marked sets with'
is set to AND (rather than OR) and then click on the Combine
Sets button.
- The next screen tells us that more than 90 records match our search and lists
brief citations for the first 8 items. We will now limit this set to records that
point to journal articles that refer to adolescents.
- Click on one of the Limit Search Results links (links are
found on both top and bottom of the page)
- On the Search Limits screen that appears, find the Publication Type box
and then click on Journal Article to highlight the term.
- Next find the Age Group box and scroll through the list to find and click
on the term Adolescence (13 - 17yrs)
- Scroll down the Search Limits page and click on the Limit Results
Now button near the bottom of the page.
- The Title List screen that comes up displays brief citations for the records
that match the Subject Headings and Limits in our search.
- Click on the title in the brief citation for the first record to
see the full citation. In addition to the brief citation information (for journal
articles: Article Title, Author, Source, Volume, Issue, Pages, and Date) the Full
Citation displays an abstract, (a summary of the information contained in the actual
document). Other classifying information including a list of the subject headings
assigned to the record is also displayed.
Note: Clicking on one of the subject headings in the full citation would
search for and display records for all items that have been assigned that subject
heading. It would also add the set to the search history where you could combine
it with other sets. Also, If you were interested in other titles by this author you
could click on the author's name to retrieve a set of other items by this author.
SPECIAL NOTE: The Full Citation is NOT the full text of the item. To find the
full text:
Click on the "Find a Copy" link in the blue bar on the right of the page
to open a new "OLinks" browser window. Here you can find links to online,
full text copies of journal articles, if available, and/or information on
if our library owns a print copy of the journal. If the citation is to a
book or a dissertation you will be led to information on whether our
library, or any other OhioLINK library, has a copy available to be
checked out.
- We will now save a list of citations to which we can refer to seek or order the
item at the library, to discuss the progress of our research with our professor,
or to compile a list of references for a paper.
- Click on the title list link in the right hand column.
Note: a check box appears to the left of each record in the title list
screen that is retrieved and that 'store marked records' and 'store all on page'
buttons appear at the bottom of the page. These are used to select and store one
or more items for printing, saving, or emailing.
- We will now pick two citations for outputting (printing, saving, or emailing).
- Click in the selection checkboxes to mark the records for the 1997
article by Sharpe, Tamara M. and the 1993 article by Rosen, James C.
- After marking the two selections, click on the 'store marked
records' button at the bottom of page.
Note: If you are moving from page to page to mark records, always
click the store marked records button on that page before moving to the next
page.
- Click on the View Stored Records link that has now been
added to the right column.
- The 'Saved Records' page that you retrieve gives links to Display, Download,
Print, E-mail, Export, or Pocket Records. It also gives brief citations to the items
we have chosen.
- Choose Display Records (for the purpose of this tutorial.)
- On the 'Display Options' page, Make sure the ;Include search history' box on the right is checked.
- For 'Fields to view' choose 'Citation + Abstract + Descriptors' so that the display will include lists of
all the subject headings assigned to our items.
- Click on the View Now button.
- On the 'PsycINFO - 1967-Present: 2 Saved Records' page that comes up, we find
the search history, a list of the steps we went through in our search, near the top of the page. This
could be helpful if we need to retrace our steps. Below this we find the full citations for the 2 records that we
selected. If we wanted to save a printed version of this page, we could use the 'print' command in our web browser.
- Click on the Clear Stored Records link (found at both the top and bottom of the page). This
takes us back to the Search Menu page and clears the records we have stored.
- Good Work! Please click on the logout button at the bottom of the PsycINFO
Search Menu page to end the session..