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Using ProQuest Databases

ProQuests' databases, all reachable through Research Library (at ProQuest) on the front page of GALILEO , offer a variety of options for searching including criminal justice and business topics, as well as a general database, Research Library.

1. Before you start searching look carefully at your topic. It should be well focused, and usually composed of two concepts, for example: baseball players AND salaries for baseball players' salaries. Searches with two concepts generally yield better results than searches with three. The AND is an operator that pulls two concepts together like two overlapping circles. It does not have to be capitalized.
2. Bring up the GALILEO. Click on Research Library from ProQuest. This is the second selection on the light amber square below the globe on the left side of the screen.
3. Searching defaults to including the general database Research Library and abstracts of American Medical Association journals. You will see these listed under the orange and green tabbed bar at the top of the screen on a line that begins Databases Selected.
   1. To select another database click on the arrow in the drop down box labeled Database in the middle of the screen and select the desired database.
   2. To select several databases to search at once click on Databases Selected text or Select multiple databases next to the database selection box.
   3. For most searches Interdisciplinary - Research Library Complete is fine, but for business try Business - ABI/Inform Archive Complete and for criminal justice try Social Science - Criminal Justice Periodicals. For current news try News - ProQuest Newspapers.
4. Type in your search. Remember step 1. A properly focused topic usually contains more than one concept and an AND. Then click on the search button. NOTE: If you search for more than one word and do not use "AND" to connect them your search will vary. If you use 2 words then ProQuest treats those words as a phrase, that is, as one unit. If you search 3 words or more ProQuest will search by adjacency, that is, how close the words are to each other in a record.
5. You will receive a list of references divided into groups of ten. Click on the dark blue titles to open up the full citation with abstract.
6. To view full text articles, click on the dark blue text to the right of the full-text icon below the article title.
7. Click on the blue text next to the page image icon for Page Image -- PDF. The icon is below the article title. You will need Adobe Reader to view page images. Be aware that page image articles can be extremely slow to download.
8. To print from a full-text article click on the "Print" button above the citation. If a print dialog box pops up click "OK" to print. To print from a page image article click on the Adobe Reader print button while the article is still on the screen.
9. To move through your list of results scroll to the bottom of the results page. The next arrow pointing right sends you to the next group of ten references. The previous arrow sends you to a previous group of ten references. There are also page numbers for skipping ahead or choosing a particular group of references.
10. If your search resulted in too many articles look at the Suggested Topics above the results list. If you see a topic that more clearly defines what you are looking for simply click on it to execute a search on that topic.
11. Headings for subjects are long and detailed. They are also hit or miss and not consistently applied. As a result, key word searching works better with all ProQuest databases except ABI Inform and Criminal Justice Periodicals Abstracts.
12. Publication searching is available, but unless you have a journal/magazine in mind, it is not particularly useful.

EHK -- January 2005