Research Tools - Fall 2003

ProQuest Next Adds NewFeatures

Users of some of the Weinberg Library's most popular article databases will find several new and improved features when they log onto to the ProQuest selections this fall. Included in the upgrades are several new improvements that will streamline your searching and bring more accurate results to you desktop.
 
Database screens (formerly listed under the term "Collections") will allow you to identify which of the Proquest products is best suited to your research, with more detailed descriptions of the type of publication found in the particular database and a direct link to the actual titles that are indexed. This feature offers the advantage of seeing exactly what the database has to offer, rather than guessing from a brief summary in a pop-up message.
 
Basic search screen is more intuitive and gives more options that the plain vanilla in the current version. Even in the basic mode, you may select multiple databases. This feature will be helpful when searching for cross-disciplinary topics. And you no longer need to specify the date range (current, backfile, or deep backfile). You may also rank your search results with most recent or most relevant, a feature that is truly necessary depending on the type of information for which you are searching.

New icons appear next to the brief citations that indicate the type of article you retrieved. A graduation cap icon indicates a scholarly, peer-reviewed publication in your search results.
 
Still another feature is especially useful when you are not certain that your search terms match a subject heading. The browse feature allows you to broaden or narrow your search by selecting from a predefined alphabetical listing
And finally, you will not get the heading "at least 50 articles match your search" anymore. This ambiguous number has been eliminated and a specific number of search results appears in its place. If your results total 40,000, you will return to your search screen to limit immediately rather than wasting time looking at screen after screen of articles that are too general.
 
If you need assistance accessing the ProQuest databases from the library or your home computer, or you would like to discuss effective search strategies for your research project, please call the Reference Desk at x4000 or contact us via the Ask a Librarian icon on the Library's homepage.
Betsey Moylan
Pride, Passion, Promise: Experience Our Jesuit Tradition