Published in 1992, like the first, this second edition is not intended as introductory textbook command-driven, Boolean searching. It is targeted at online searchers who already have some knowledge of command languages and may be proficient searchers on databases in one or two subject areas, but when required to venture into new and less familiar territory still need guidance. It is also offered to end users who possess the subject expertise but lack of information retrieval know-how. The Manual is offered as a guide to database selection and a navigational aid through the twists and turns of the retrieval maze; at least some of the dead ends and backtracking may thereby be avoided. This volume, written by experts in their various fields, deals with the subject coverage and record structures of specific databases, offers comparisons between databases (context, indexing procedures, updating policies, etc.), discusses the choice between online and CD-ROM sources (and between hosts if online is selected), and illustrates strategies with numerous search extracts.

Comprehensively updated, this three-volume edition of the Manual of Online Search Strategies covers the whole range of Internet, CD-ROM and dial-up online services, and includes several new chapters. International experts on each subject area, selected from the UK and North America, describe in detail how to identify and exploit specialist bibliographic and non-bibliographic databases, the best search methods and delivery modes, and the relative merits of different services and online hosts in their different disciplines. Numerous examples of search results are used to illustrate different strategies and commands.Each volume includes the editors' introductory chapter on search strategies, which gives an overview of searching language, platforms and vendors, interfaces and search and database evaluation methods. This volume includes the new chapter on earth sciences, while engineering and energy-related sources are now covered in one combined chapter. Other chapters have been fully revised.The Manual can be used as a subject handbook, a directory of recommended resources and as a textbook. This new edition provides extensive guidance for searchers of electronic information and is particularly useful for those working in a subject area other than their own. Readers will gain a professional 'edge' from the skill and wisdom that the specialist authors have passed on in their chapters and will be able to expand their searching techniques into new areas.

Understanding and navigating online databases is an essential skill for today's librarians, but staying current in this changing landscape can be a challenge. The fifth edition of this vital book ensures that you meet that challenge. Today's librarians not only need to know about existing databases and how to perform searches within them but must also be able to teach search capabilities and strategies to library users. This practical guide introduces librarians to a broad spectrum of the fee-based and freely-available databases that are available, some of which are new to this edition, and explains their underlying information structures as well as updates to some standard databases. In addition, it covers search strategies, provides criteria for evaluating databases, and discusses how to teach others about databases. As in the previous edition, this book takes a "real world approach," covering everything from basic and advanced search tools to online subject databases. Each chapter includes a thorough discussion, recap, concrete examples, exercises, and points to consider, making this an ideal text for courses in database searching as well as a trustworthy professional resource.

Researching the Law: Finding What You Need When You Need It, Fourth Edition guides students through a decidedly contemporary approach to legal research. Widely respected author Amy E. Sloan presents legal research as a process of efficiently filtering a vast quantity of available information. Simply put, students learn how to locate and identify the most pertinent and authoritative information available with the greatest possible expedience. Sloan's clear, concise explanations of essential research sources are presented in a context that speaks to the way lawyers do research today, with a flexible approach that works in a rapidly changing research environment. Part I explains how to define a research question; pre-filter content before beginning a search; conduct research using a variety of search techniques and establish post-search criteria for filtering results. Part II describes essential features of individual sources of authority and search strategies unique to each source. Part III contains research flowcharts to help students plan research strategies for different types of research projects. New to the 4th Edition: Coverage of the latest functionality of Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law Targeted research examples to illustrate common search techniques Thorough explanation of techniques for drafting effective word searches Benefits for instructors and students: Complete coverage of fundamental principles Teaches students how to: Define a research question Pre-filter content before beginning a search Search for information using a variety of techniques Create and use post-search filtering criteria to target the most relevant information Learn the essential features of important legal authorities, as well as the research strategies unique to each one Use flowcharts to plan a research strategy Concise and practical, to appeal to today’s students Approaches legal research as a filtering process to identify the most pertinent and authoritative information from vast search results Can also be used to complement other texts and classroom materials Diverse coverage of online sources, not solely emphasizing Lexis and Westlaw Not simply a shorter version of Basic Legal Research; looks at research as a process of filtering the available information, rather than as a process that requires first choosing the right source of authority to solve a legal problem

The guidelines were originally designed to help NCI staff improve the presentation of cancer-related information to cancer researchers and the public, though they are applicable to anyone who designs and manages information web sites.

Online Searching puts aspiring librarians working in all types of institutions on the fast track to becoming expert searchers, the intermediaries who unite information users with trusted sources that satisfy their information needs.