January 9, 2007
Using CrossSearch to Search Multiple Databases Simultaneously
You may now search several literature indexes simultaneously using the Web of Knowledge search engine:
While searching multiple databases simultaneously in Web of Knowledge (WoK) is handy, it can be tricky! There are several idiosyncrasies or the WoK search engine that you'll want to be aware of:
1. If you start by searching one database, and then want to do a CrossSearch (cross-db search)...
Say you've done a search in Web of Science (WoS), and then want to search all the other dbs in WoK. You'll see in your Search Results-Summary page a link to: "CrossSearch: View additional results in other databases"
If you click on this link, your search will be run in ALL the OTHER databases, but will only bring back results from the past 5 years!. Note: the results from the db that you started will NOT be in the new search result. If you look carefully at the screen, you'd see what was search, e.g., something like:
topic=(honey bee and varroa) Databases=Biological Abstracts, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, MEDLINE, WCI, Zoological Record, CAB Abstracts, EXCLUDING all records in Web of Science; Timespan=Latest 5 Years
Note carefully the timespan and the exclusion note!
2. If you start your search in the initial CrossSearch screen that is available when you go to the WoK screen (the screen that shows all the dbs in WoK):
your search will by default only come back with results from the past 5 years.
and you can only do a "topic" search (not author)
To get the search to bring back results from ALL years or to be able to specify an author, you need to click on the link to the left of the search input box that says "More search fields". Now you'll see input boxes for topic and author searches, and will have several date range options .
3. When you do a CrossSearch, the results come back in three "folders" labelled:
- ISI WoK Results (includes all the dbs that we pay for, including Medline)
- External Collection Results (includes PubMed, Agricola, and other dbs)
- Current Web Contents
So the results are not all blended together. If you want to look at results from one of the External Collections, you'll be taken out to that search engine; that is, you don't stay in WoK.
4. You can save CrossSearch queries (to be run again) but the system does not let you set up autoalerts with these searches; so autoalerts must be set up for each individual db.
5. You'll need to process your CrossSearch "hits" a little differently than usual when it comes time to print or export the results.
As you're looking at CrossSearch results, you'll frequently see the same citation available through multiple databases. This is so you can see the record in the format used for each db. E.g., you might prefer to see the WoS format, where you can see cited references; or you may prefer to see the CAB format, where you can see the CAB descriptors; etc.
Similarly, if you want to mark any of the records for future printing or export, you'll need to choose which db's record you want to print / export; you do this by "marking" the link attached to whichever db you prefer.
Then, when you get ready to print / export, you'll click on the link to the "marked list". But now, instead of just one marked list, you may have 2-6 marked lists -- one for each database! You'll need to process each list separately, for of course they have different fields in them. While this might not be important for the purposes of printing, it IS important if you're exporting the records into EndNote or RefWorks.
6. The options to refine and analyze by author, institution, subject headings, etc. don't function within CrossSearch search results. . This makes sense, since each of the databases has it's own way of creating the records from which this data would be pulled.
Posted by florador at 1:41 PM
December 2, 2005
RefWorks Training Sessions
[Sorry! all these sessions are full... but there will be more held in January / February. Stay tuned!]
Passing along an announcement from the Library's Coordinator for Information Literacy Services and Instruction, Lisa Hinchliffe about some RefWorks training that's available. See below.
But first, a couple of words about RefWorks!
Many of you are familiar with EndNote, but I'd like to urge you to consider telling your students about RefWorks. (Some faculty have already made the switch, too!) Some of it's features:
- It is free to all at UIUC ($upported by Library and CITES)
- It is web based, so you don't need to update the program, and aren't tied to one computer for your references
- Multiple users can share an account -- so everyone in a lab could contribute to and use a common database of references. Of course, you can have multiple accounts too -- so one to share, and others that you alone use.
- Like EndNote, RefWorks has a "Write and Cite" feature, that lets you painlessly select references from your RefWorks account for inclusion in papers that you are using Word to write.
- Also like EndNote, RefWorks will format your Word document citations and references according to a multitude of different publication styles.
- EndNote libraries can be imported into RefWorks, and vice versa.
**** Training Announcement ****
Fulfill Your New Year's Resolution Early!
Put Your Research in Order with RefWorks Citation Software
RefWorks, a Web-based service, allows faculty members and students to create customized databases using online resources and automatically format the content and bibliographies of their papers. (http://www.library.uiuc.edu/refworks/) It also provides quick search and advanced search functions. Keep track of your research citations, notes, etc.
Workshops will be held in Undergraduate Library Room 291 multiple times in December! Register at: http://130.126.32.16/evanced/lib0/eventcalendar.asp
Questions? Email Lisa Hinchliffe, ljanicke@uiuc.edu
Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe
Coordinator for Information Literacy Services and Instruction
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
434 Main Library
1408 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, Illinois 61801
217-333-1323 (v)
217-244-4358 (f)
ljanicke@uiuc.edu
Posted by florador at 3:09 PM
August 18, 2005
RefWorks Help for UIUC
We recently told of a new resource available for UIUC, Refworks. A simplified set of instructions for using RefWorks at UIUC has just been created. Find out how to get access to this resource, how to import citations into it creating your own reference database, and how to use it with Word to create documents with cited references.
Posted by at 5:44 PM
April 8, 2005
RefWorks
RefWorks is a web-based bibliography and database manager. Use it when working on a research project to collect references from online databases, building your own library of references. You can then insert the references into your paper using Word and the free Write-N-Cite plug-in, which automatically formats the paper and the bibliography using a wide variety of styles.
RefWorks is similar in function to bibliographic management software products such as EndNote, Reference Manager, and ProCite, and citations from these programs can be easily imported into RefWorks or vice versa. RefWorks differs from these other programs in that the personally created databases (libraries, folders) are stored on the RefWorks server and can be accessed through the University Library institutional account from wherever the user happens to be via the web. In addition, there is no charge for use to University of Illinois current faculty, staff and students.
Newsflash - 8/18/05 - The UIUC Library has put together a local support site for Refworks. Here you'll find out how to register for RefWorks, how to import citations from our many article indexes and abstracts into RefWorks, and how to use it from within Word.
There is also a fine set of RefWorks tutorials at http://www.refworks.com/tutorial/.
RefWorks has been licensed for use by anyone at UIUC; sign up for your free individual account. Please feel free to tell your students about it and urge them to create a login so they can use it to build bibliographies for their papers.
Purchased jointly through funds from the Library and CITES.
Posted by at 9:12 AM