Slide 1
This short module on ProQuest Dialog™ shows how to use and get the most out of the online thesaurus.
Slide 2
You can use the online thesaurus in certain databases to add precision to your retrieval and save time in coming up with the right vocabulary to get what you want. The thesaurus helps you to find the particular search terms so that you get comprehensive and focused results. An online thesaurus even includes a feature called EXPLODE, which allows you to search not only for the main descriptor, but to include all its narrower terms as well. You can specify the descriptor term is the major focus of articles retrieved and you can link directly to specific aspects of the topic sought.
Slide 3
ProQuest Dialog makes it easy to find preferred terms in databases that have thesauri. In the Advanced Search form, look to the right-hand panel under Search tools. Databases that have thesauri have a link to Thesaurus. Click Thesaurus to take advantage of this online help.
Slide 4
In Embase®, you will click the most current thesaurus, in this case, the Embase 2011 thesaurus. For help in thesaurus searching click the question mark on the top right of the Thesaurus screen.
Slide 5
It often works best to click the option to search for terms that begin with at least two characters. Check boxes to explode terms to include all narrower terms and to search selections as major subjects appear. Explode is the default, so if you choose not to explode, deselect that option. Check the box to search your selections as major subjects if that is your wish. Click Add to search.
Slide 6
Before clicking Add to search, you can scroll down and view the narrower terms and other details. The thesaurus displays the date the term was added to the database, broader and narrower terms if available and options to view qualifiers, or subheadings, related to the thesaurus term. Since Explode has been checked off above, you don't need to check the boxes for the narrower terms, unless you wish to include some, but not all, and you deselect Explode. Click Show qualifiers to see subheadings.
Slide 7
Available subheadings for motor neuron disease appear. You may click appropriate ones if you wish. We're going to look at ways to enter subheadings as a search query later. Since Explode and Major descriptor have been checked off you can click Add to search to find records on motor neuron disease or any of its narrower terms.
Slide 8
ProQuest Dialog entered the search strategy on the top line of the Advanced Search form. You can use Limit options, such as human subjects, clinical trials, publication date range. Perhaps you are doing ongoing research and you only want to include records added since a certain time length, such as the last seven days, three months, 12 months or a specific date range. Click Search.
Slide 9
ProQuest Dialog reports results and displays your search strategy. The results display includes the title, publication date, the database from which the records came and view format options, such as Brief citation or Citation/Abstract in the case of Embase. Format options vary from database to database. Notice on the right panel that your results are sorted by relevance. You can change that to most recent or oldest first. You can also narrow your results by Document type, for example, conference paper, article, review, publication title — journal names, Subject, Substance and more. Not shown here is a date slider to further narrow by publication date. Click Brief citation to look at the bibliographic detail.
Slide 10
The Brief citation provides the title, bibliographic information and options to link to the Citation/Abstract or to check for availability of full text. If your organization has a link resolver, you may be able to link directly to the full text of the article. Typical of scientific, medical, collections, Embase contains bibliographies — in most cases with abstracts. The advances in online technology make connecting to the full text emphatically easier than in the past. Notice the presence of hyperlinked authors, allowing you to search for all articles by a particular author.
Slide 11
The Citation/Abstract view provides the bibliographic information, the abstract (where available) and the indexing, which you will see on the next slide.
Slide 12
Embase provides heavy indexing. You can see your search terms motor neuron disease are major descriptors, meaning the articles retrieved are mainly about this subject. Notice that the descriptors contain qualifiers or subheadings, such as diagnosis or disease management or drug therapy, or epidemiology or etiology. You can search on thesaurus terms linking them directly to particular qualifiers for more precise results.
Slide 13
There are three ways you can link subheadings to EMTREE terms. This example shows linking the descriptor as a major focus of the article — using field code mjemb, open parenthesis motor neuron disease, space, dash, dash, space etiology, spelled out, close parenthesis. Limit results to the last 12 months if desired.
Slide 14
A quick response shows how easily it works.
Slide 15
An even faster way, if you know the two-letter qualifier code, is to enter the query using the two-letter code rather than the full word qualifier. You can find the two-letter codes in the online thesaurus lookup from the Advanced Search screen when you click Show qualifiers.
Slide 16
And finally, you can use the Link operator: L-N-K, shown here in capital letters so that you can see that that first letter of the operator is an L. Operators are not case sensitive.
Slide 17
Use the thesaurus to find the right terms. For example, enter "cancer" to find the preferred EMTREE term for cancer. Embase lets you enter a drug's brand name to get to the preferred nomenclature. Embase is fast and robust in indexing brand names and providing pointers.
Slide 18
And so, to wrap up and review what you learned about thesaurus searching: on the Advanced Search form, check the right-hand panel. If the database has an online thesaurus a link to Thesaurus displays. Click the question mark at the top right of the Thesaurus screen for help in using the Thesaurus. It is best to use the option to enter the first letters of a term. Where a descriptor has narrower terms, the default is to EXPLODE it to include the narrower terms. Check the box off for major subject if you wish to make the topic the major focus of the articles retrieved. Scroll down for additional options. Enter terms to find out if they are descriptors or to find a pointer to the right term.