What is Quick Search?

Quick Search is a search engine which allows you to search multiple article databases simultaneously through a single, easy-to-use interface.  This type of search tool is also known as a federated search engine.

Quick Search allows you to search pre-defined subject categories of databases, or you can choose individual databases from several subject categories.  Databases within a subject category can be searched simultaneously as well as individual databases selected from different subject categories.

Basic and Advanced Searching

In the Basic search, you can choose among the pre-defined subject categories.

In Advanced search, you can select individual databases in which to search.  In Advanced search there are also more text boxes so that you can create longer, more complex search strategies.

Help info for Quick Search

1. Type the words you would like to search in the search box.
2. Choose the type of search you would like (keywords, author, title or subject.)
3. Choose the subject category(ies) in which you would like to search.  (Note:  the default choice is the General & Full-Text category.)
4. Click on the Search button to begin your search.

Quick Search – Advanced

1. Type the words you would like to search on in the search box.
2. Select Construct Search to customize a complex Boolean search using AND* OR* NOT*.
   For example: Term1 * (Term2 * Term3)
   e.g. Violence AND (television OR media)
3. Choose the subject categories that you would like to search, or if you wish, you may select individual databases across disciplines.

Tips:

• Unselect all databases in a subject category by unselecting the category name.
• Use the Reset Form button (on the right hand side of the screen) to restore defaults
• For efficiency, do not choose more than three subject categories to search at a time.

View Results

• Order of database results are retrieved NOT in order of relevancy, but rather by speed of individual database servers.
• View ALL search results in one listing by clicking on View Interfiled Results.
      Note:  Choosing View Interfiled Results may mean that your search results may display more slowly.
• Return to the Tabbed View (sorting the search results by database name) by clicking on View Results Tabbed by Resource.

Save and Export Records

1. Select citations you wish to save.
2. Click on the View Saved button.
3. To e-mail the selected records, type e-mail address, choose format (HTML or Text), and click on the E-mail button.
4. To print selected results, click on the Print button (found on the top right hand side of screen.)
5. When finished, close the Saved Results window.
       Note:  Abstracts and full-text of periodical articles are NOT included in e-mailing and printing of citation records.

Tips

• If your e-mail program accepts HTML text, choosing to e-mail your search results in the HTML format will provide a link to any available abstracts or full-text of the periodical article.
• Use Select All, Clear All and Update List to modify saved results.