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DATABASES

By: Hanna Ben-Or

Phone: 08-9489934

Email:benor@agri.huji.ac.il

October 2011

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GENERAL

WHY have they been established?

WHAT are computerized databases?

WHEN do we use them? **Before beginning new research.

researchers. **Acquiring publications’ lists of other** Complete / verify bibliographic citations.** At the end of research, before publishing.

** Before developing a product (patent search).** Market research.

** Practical assistance.

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GENERAL

* SEARCH TYPES: subject, author, citation, completion…. Until now: verbal search.

• DATABASES TYPES: differ by subjects, by medium

* TEXTUAL SCIENTIFIC DATABASES:

1) FULL-TEXT: e-journals, publishers’ sites, statistical databases, e-books…

2) BIBLIOGRAPHIC: abbreviated information.

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BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES

1 )Show ABBREVIATED INFO. from publications ( submitted & stored according to set rules .)

2 )REPRESENT & DIRECT to entire publications .

3 )Only PARTS of the entire texts, are STORED.

)au,ti,ad,py,la,pt,ud,ab,so,de,mesh,kw…)

4 )RECORDS: the information is divided into FIELDS.

5 )Need to LOCATE the ENTIRE PUBLICATION, at the search’s end, after checking search results.

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SEARCH BASICS

1) CHOOSE the MOST RELEVANT DATABASE according to your needs.

Use the “DATABASES BY SUBJECTS” listat the Library Homepage:http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/subjdata_new.html

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SEARCH BASICS

2) SEARCH THOROUGHLY in order to retrieve all the relevant data. )all synonyms, spellings, grammar forms, initials / full phrase, truncation, controlled vocabulary(.

3) COMBINE terms/subjects by: OR, AND, NOT,(NEAR, SAME).

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SEARCH BASICS: COMBINATION (cont.)

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SEARCH BASICS: COMBINATION ( cont.)

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Limit search, if required, for more focused result

SEARCH BASICS: “Web of Science” Search Screen

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SEARCH BASICS

4( CHECK RESULTS & MODIFY the search by LIMITING or ENHANCING the search.

5( MARK records )optional: prepares a selected

set for saving/printing/e-mailing/exporting(.

6( Rearrange the set of results using the SORT option )optional(.

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SEARCH BASICS

7( SAVE QUERY )Search History( for future use )rerun or Alert, in order to have updates(.

8( SAVE / PRINT / EMAIL / EXPORT the set of results.

9( LOCATE FULL TEXTS.

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SEARCH BASICS

9( LOCATING ENTIRE PUBLICATIONS referred to in Bibliographic Databases search results )cont.(:

– USE DIRECT LINKS from the bibliographic record to the full-text or to library catalogs.

– SEARCH the LIB.CAT. or available E-JOURNAL LISTS.

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SEARCH BASICS

9( LOCATING ENTIRE PUBLICATIONS )cont.(

– ORDER full-texts from other libraries, using the INTERLIBRARY LOAN SERVICE.

– CONTACT THE PUBLICATION’S AUTHOR

)the address is included in the record(.

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EXPORT SEARCH RESULTS TO BIBLIOGRAPHY MANAGING TOOLS: EndNote, RefWorks... and others (1)

BMTS ALLOW USERS:

1( To create PERSONAL DATABASES )libraries(.

2( To manage, store, and share information.

3( To use the databases for various research activities.

REFERENCES ARE QUICKLY AND EASILY: 1( Imported into the personal library from text files or

from online databases.

2( Inserted manually.

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EXPORT SEARCH RESULTS TO BIBLIOGRAPHY MANAGING TOOLS: EndNote, RefWorks... and others (2)

USERS CAN:1( Perform searches & remove duplicate references. 2( While writing papers, insert references from their personal database into the papers.3( The above step automatically generates formatted bibliographies and manuscripts in seconds)“cite while you write”(.

EndNote Web is one of those tools. Free for “Web of Science” subscribers.Details at: http://www.endnoteweb.com

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Rss

1( Click on the RSS icon, attached to required contents, at Internet sites )including Academic databases(

2 )The site will send updates of the required once clicked on subject, automatically, to the personal computer, or to the private budjet of the user, at RSS dedicated Internet site.RSS Guide:

http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

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CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SEARCH RESULTS IN COMMERCIAL DATABASES (1)

* RELEVANCY: Quantity & location of the search query terms, in the retrieved database records.

* UPDATENESS: Sometimes there is no need for non-updated information.

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CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SEARCH RESULTS IN COMMERCIAL DATABASES (2)

* AUTHOR OF THE PUBLICATION:

1. Is he recognized in the subject area?

2. Are there more publications by him?

3. Are his publications cited?

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CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SEARCH RESULTS IN COMMERCIAL DATABASES (3)

* The JOURNAL which published the article:

1. Is it academic? professional? commercial?

2. Is it peer reviewed?

)submitted papers are reviewed by experts before being accepted for publication(

3. Is it cited a lot globally )impact factor(?

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CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING FREE INTERNET SITES AND DOCUMENTS (1)

* The SITE holding the information

• Is the site academic? governmental? • Does it have expertise in the subject area?

)It is possible to limit Internet searches to academic, governmental, and other site types(.

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CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING FREE INTERNET SITES AND DOCUMENTS (2)

* The PERSON IN CHARGE OF SITE INFORMATION:

• Is he recognized as an expert in the field? • Does he publish additional publications?• Are they supervised by known organizations? • Are they cited by others? • Does the site show the details of the person in

charge of the information )name, contact options(?

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CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING FREE INTERNET SITES AND DOCUMENTS (3)

* UPDATENESS: Is the site updated often?

* Are there LINKS TO THE SITE from other sites?

* RELEVANCY OF THE INFORMATION: Quantity and location of the search terms )appear in the titles of documents( ? Updated?

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CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING FREE INTERNET SITES AND DOCUMENTS (4)

* RELIABILITY & OBJECTIVITY

Is the source of the information on the site

• an objective party?

• an interested party )in marketing products, ideas,

services(?

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ENTERING THE LIBRARY RESOURCES

NOTE: Access is limited to campus computers.

1 (FROM the Library Website at: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/menu.html

(click on the “Databases” button.)

2 (FROM the local NOVELL server screen )for non-internet databases(.

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THE LIBRARY WEBSITE Guide at: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/LibWebCat500.doc

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WEB CATALOG: http://aleph500.huji.ac.il/F/?func=file&file_name=find-b&local_base=huagr&con_lng=eng

GUIDE: SEARCHING THE WEB CATALOG:http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/LibWebCat500.doc

DATABASES: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/datalist_new.htm

GUIDE: DATABASES SEARCH BASICS: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/joicelibwebsite.pdf

RESOURCES AT THE LIBRARY SITE (1)

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RESOURCES AT THE LIBRARY SITE (2)

E-JOURNALS: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/e_journals.htm

WEB RESOURCES: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/new_resources.htm

GUIDES: http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/guides.htm

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DATABASES (1):http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/Data_new.htm

COMMERCIAL DATABASES:

Agricola, ASFA, Biosis Previews,

CAB Abstracts , Econlit , FSTA , Georef ,

Lexis, Medline, Merck Index, Web of Science .

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DATABASES (2):http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/library/Data_new.htm

SOME FREE DATABASES, IN INTERNET:

Agricola )Agriculture(

Faostat )Statistics of world agriculture, food, and population(

PubMed )Health, Medicine, Veterinary(

For more information, please contact: benor@agri.huji.ac.il