Introduction to FirstSearch

FirstSearch includes several useful features:

• Icons that indicate if items are full-text.
• Icons that indicate if items are owned by our library.
• The ability to search up to three databases at once.
• Phrase searching using quotation marks.
• Switches directly to search screen in alternate database.
• Full right-hand truncation using an asterisk.
• Suggests the best database to search in for your topic.
• The ability to rank items by relevance or date.

Searching Tips

• Use boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to combine terms.If no operator is specified, the default is AND.
• Use quotation marks to search for phrases, for example: "space shuttle".
• Use the asterisk * to truncate (search for various endings of a word)
• Use the limit feature to limit your search by author, subject headings or date.
• Use advanced searching to search in specific fields or to limit by article type e.g. feature, book review, editorial etc.

If you need assistance with FirstSearch contact the Reference Desk at 395-7904.

July 20, 2001