WilsonWeb

Introduction

WilsonWeb contains many databases on a wide range of subjects. Three significant ones are OmniFile Full Text Mega, Education Full Text, and Business Full Text. Other WilsonWeb databases include Applied Science and Technology Full Text, Biological & Agricultural Index Plus, Book Review Digest Plus, Book Review Digest Retrospective, Education Index Retrospective, Essay and General Literature, General Science Full Text, Humanities & Social Sciences Retrospective, Humanities Full Text; Index to Legal Periodicals and Books, Library Literature & Information Science Full Text, Readers Guide Full Text, Readers' Guide Retrospective, Short Story Index, and Social Sciences Full Text.

WilsonWeb.

Accessing

This database may be accessed from the Databases page of the Electronic Resources section of the NSU Alvin Sherman Library website.

For more on how to access databases visit http://www.nova.edu/library/dils/lessons/electroniclibrary/

Searching

The Advanced Search screen provides a variety of text entry boxes, dropdown boxes, and radio buttons to help construct a search for information. Whether selecting one database or multiple databases to search, the screen automatically changes to offer the most useful limiter choices for the database(s).

To construct an advanced search

type a word, phrase, or name in one or more of the blank text entry boxes
choose a field to search from using the as: pull-down arrow
- Keyword–searches entire record, excluding full text
- All Smart Search–searches entire record, including full text
if you enter terms in two or more entry boxes, select the appropriate Boolean operator to use
you may further limit your search by selecting from the other available options–use the checkboxes and pull-down arrows to make selections
click Start to retrieve your search results

Advanced search screen
Advanced searching in WilsonWeb.

Note: If desired, multiple WilsonWeb databases can be searched at the same time

click on Open Database Selection Area at the top of the screen
use the check boxes to select the desired databases
then click on Close Database Selection Area to minimize

Selecting multiple WilsonWeb databases reduces the number of available search options–only search features common to all selected databases will be available.

Search Results

Search results will vary. If you get:

No records matched your search, then check your spelling or the fields you searched in.
Too many, then go back and limit your search. Sometimes a search needs to be modified with: additional search words, searching only a specific field, adding date limitations, or type of materials.
Too few, then go back and expand your search. Consider synonyms for your search words or concepts. Try to use professional language or terminology.
Irrelevant results, then try new search terms. Consider synonyms or related concepts. Identify and search using descriptors. Try a different database.

Results lists

The results screens displays items that most closely match your search terms. By default, the list is sorted by relevance and provides the short form of the citation. The Results list shows

the current search query and database searched
the number of items that matched your search
citations for items that matched your search
availability of full text in HTML format and/or PDF format
which items are from peer reviewed sources

Search results in Brief Display mode in WilsonWeb.

Records

To view a record

click on the title of the record to display the full citation
- if a Full Text icon appears to the left of the record, click on the appropriate icon to display the full text of the article (HTML format or PDF format )

If full text is not available, you can click on the icon to automatically search NovaCat to see if the library owns this journal.

If the journal is not available in the library, you can click on to complete an Interlibrary Loan request via ILLiad.

Record in Full Display mode in WilsonWeb.

Managing Search Results

Databases typically allow you to manage your search results by

marking or tagging records to select only the records that you want from your search results from later printing, emailing and/or saving
printing the search results list and/or specific records
emailing the search results list and/or specific records to your email address
saving the search results list and/or specific records–some databases may allow you to save your file for export into commercial bibliographic citation manager software, such as EndNote or ProCite

Not all search management features are available in all databases.

Marking

The “mark” feature allows you to select records from within your search results. By marking items, you can save, print or email multiple records at one time.

To mark a record

in the Search Results list, click in the check box–left of a title
in an Article Display, click in the check box–top of screen

Marking records in WilsonWeb.

To view your list of marked records

click the Get Marked link–bottom of the screen

Get marked records in WilsonWeb.

You may then email, print or save the items you have selected. Full-text will only be available in html format.

Printing

To print an article in html format

click the Print Email Save button–left side of the screen
click on Print Options
select the relevant options for Records, Fields, items to Include, etc.
click Print
click OK or Print when the Print dialog box appears
click on Back to Results to return to results list

Print options
Printing records in WilsonWeb.

To print an article in PDF format

view the article in PDF f ormat
click the Print icon in the Adobe viewer software–not the browser print icon
click OK or Print when the Print dialog box appears
close the PDF window

Article in pdf format in WilsonWeb.

Emailing

To email records

click the Print Email Save button–left side of the screen
click on Email Options
enter email address–to enter multiple addresses, separate them with a semi-colon
enter email subject
select the relevant options for Records, Fields, Format, etc.
click Email
click on Back to Results to return to results list

Email options
Emailing records in WilsonWeb.

Saving

To save records

click the Print Email Save button–left side of the screen
click on Save Options
select the relevant options for Records, Fields, Format, etc.
click Save
A file of the chosen format will be sent to your browser. Depending on the chosen format and your browser settings, your browser will either display the file or ask you whether you want to 'Open' the file or 'Save' it. Choose Save if given the option and then choose a name and location for the file on your disk. Otherwise, click on the File menu in your browser menu, then click on Save As, choose a name and location for the file, and close the window.
click Back to Results

Save options
Saving in WilsonWeb.

Search Tips

Use advanced search features to modify a search to obtain more successful search results. You can combine advanced search features to modify and improve your search. Advanced search features often include:

phrase or proximity searching
field searching
date
document and/or publication type
Boolean operators
plurals and truncation

One useful tip when searching any electronic database is to leave out articles, prepositions, and very abstract or general terms–they confuse the database's search engine.

For example, if the paper is on "The Impact of Mainstreaming Students in Math Classes,” use the most precise terms like mainstreaming and mathematics and skip impact, the, of, and in.

Phrase or proximity searching

In WilsonWeb, there are two ways to search for a phrase

terms typed in the same box
higher education
curriculum development

use the letter w to search for two words as a phrase
higher w education
curriculum w development

Phrase searching in WilsonWeb

Field searching

To limit your search to a specific field in the record

click on the pull-down arrow to the right of the box that says “as”
scroll to the field to limit your search to
click on the field’s name

Field searching in WilsonWeb.

Date

To limit a search to specific years

go to the limit dates to section
click on a radial tag–round circle–to search any year or select within last 12 months or select from a specific year to another year ( like 1995-1998 )

Limiting by date in WilsonWeb.

Publication type

To specify a document type

click on the pull-down arrow after the words “Document type”
select All (all document types) or choose from the list

Limiting by document type in WilsonWeb.

Wilson Web searches may be limited to peer-reviewed (refereed) publications

go to the Limit to: section–below the entry boxes
use the Peer reviewed check box to limit your search

Limiting to peer reviewed publications in WilsonWeb.

Boolean operators

The Boolean operators, AND, OR, and NOT, can be used to modify a search

click on the pull-down arrow below “Search for:”
click on the Boolean operator to use

Use AND to narrow a search. AND looks for both terms in the same record.
leadership and vision; mainstreaming and science

Use OR to broaden a search. OR looks for either term in the same record.
mainstreaming or inclusion; elementary education or secondary education

Use NOT to eliminate records with a certain term.
Saturn not car; Venus not planet

Boolean operators in WilsonWeb.

Plurals

Use the following symbols in WilsonWeb databases to locate plural forms, truncate search terms, or replace characters:

	Regular plural forms are automatically retrieved. school+ retrieves both school and schools
*	Zero or any number of characters. leader* retrieves leader, leaders, leadership m*cdonald retrieves mcdonald, macdonald
?	One character for each ?. defen?e retrieves both defense and defence einst??n retrieves both einstein and einstien

Truncating search terms in WilsonWeb.

Additional Features

The Thesaurus is a controlled vocabulary list of subjects and related terms used to standardize the indexing in the database. You can select and search for synonyms, related, and preferred terms.

To use the Thesaurus

click the Thesaurus button–left side of screen
select one or more databases
enter a term or phrase
click Start

The results screen displays your term, or a related term, in a hierarchy. The report includes the database(s), and how many related records are available.

To clear the terms entered

click Clear in the bottom taskbar

Thesaurus in WilsonWeb.