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Exercise 1

Tefko Saracevic

Dialog versions

• Dialog has several versions:– Total coverage: DialogClassic; DialogWeb

• both search the same stuff but in different ways

– Specialized coverage: Dialog1 (“one click” search on selected databases); DialogPRO (small businesses); Dialog Select (patent and trademark information ); Dialog TradStat (world trade)

• We will use DialogClassic– http://www.dialogclassic.com/ – but you can experiment with DialogWeb http://www.dialogweb.com/

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Help tools

• Download; strongly suggested to print:Fast Start to DialogClassic Web

http://support.dialog.com/techdocs/fast_start_dcw.pdf

Dialog Command Language Pocket Guidehttp://support.dialog.com/searchaids/dialog/pocketguide/pktgde.pdf

Dialog Search Tips Quick Reference Cardhttp://support.dialog.com/searchaids/dialog/pdf/

qrc_search_summ_dialog.pdf

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Login

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First screen – many features; go to Fast Start to DialogClassic Web

for explanation

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Recap of commands

• Begin (b) open a database• Select (s) enter search terms to create a set of records• Select steps (ss) enter search terms to assigns a set number

to each term in a search• Type (t) display results in continuous stream• Display (d)displays records one screen at a time• Display sets (ds) show a list of all sets created during a search• AND operator finds only documents with all search terms

present• OR operator finds documents with either term • With (w) operator finds terms next to each other in a

specific order (it is a form of AND)• logoff end a session (or click the logoff button on the toolbar)

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Step 1 & 2: do a search in database 1 – ERIC(education and related subjects)

• Step 1: Command: b1 (or b 1 or begin 1)– Gets you to ERIC

• Step 2: Go to Bluesheet for ERIC– a Bluesheet gives all information about the database, its fields, forms

of outputs and more. Bluesheets are very important! Consult them all the time! Go through this one. [A Bluesheet for a database has a lot of stuff, some for the moment is close to goobledygook. But Bluesheets will be a very important and a constantly used source of information for you throughout your searching life of Dialog. Plus they tell you a lot how databases are structured and what fields they have and what outputs are available and how to enter them]

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Step 2: To get Bluesheet for ERIC

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Bluesheet for ERIC

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Step 3: Search for library AND students:

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Step 4: retrieve:

Step 3a: Search for library AND students but this time as select steps

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Step 4a: retrieve:

Step 5: type some articles

• Type out the first ten articles in full format• Command: t 1/5/1-10• From Bluesheet get options for formats

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Step 6: obtained results

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Step 7: select one (or more) of the articles for Editor and/or for printing

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Step 8: editing to do whatever later – print, save, combine, send ...

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