LIS 601: Week4
DIALOG: Three questions for the Assignment #2 

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Assignment #2A: Two questions to get you started

"Search on the topic Adult literacy programs in public libraries in ERIC. Restrict retrieval to items of major emphasis, published since 1983, and excluding those concerned with computer literacy.

 

• EXPAND on the word literacy in the Basic Index
• EXPAND to fin suject-related terms for the concept of teaching adults to read. SELECT appropriate subject-related terms from the R-numbered list.
• Restrict the retrieval to major descriptors.
• Continue the the search by including the public libraries concept and eliminating the computer literacy concept.
• Restrict retrieval to the appropriate publication range.
• Type six records in an appropriate format to view the indexing (DIALOG 1992, 18)."

1. adopt a presentation style that clearly denotes what are commands, search strings, results, commentary, etc. This is very important. (See various computer manuals, DIALOG publications, etc. for ideas.)
2. use a fixed font for output.
3. append select output examples that are clearly marked and referenced from within the body of the report. The keyword hear is select: large gobs of output appended to the report shows a lack of thought and will receive the appropriate lack of marks!
4. answer the queries (i.e. read the questions closely).
5. discuss search strategies used, and note successes and failures (N.B. this is the raison d'etre for this, and all assignments).
6. note potential pitfalls that you have discovered and possible remedies (from both the system and the user viewpoints).
7. use as many search features as possible for initial search then refine/rerun searches using successful features to create ideal strategies.

Question:

"Find an article by M. van Heuvel, published in 1989, in the journal Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications. Use both BIOSIS and SCISEARCH to observe differences in author and journal name entry. Type records in a format to obtain the journal references.

Hint:Allow for differences in author name entries. For example, SCISEARCH eliminates and punctuation and spaces in author names (DIAOLG 1992, 19)".

Assignment #2b: Searching Multiple Databases

Query:

"I remember an article that used a violent cat and mouse metaphor to discuss a rivalry in the soft drink industry. My professor wants to see the article".