Proquest Databases: a Brief Guide

ProQuest® databases: a brief guide

ProQuest databases® include ASSIA, IBSS, EconLit and ProQuest e-Journals (ABI/Inform for Business and Management) plus others. You can either search all the databases together or each one individually. This guide is a brief introduction. Further help can be found on ProQuest. Help! : The Help icon is at the top right of the screen.

1.Getting started 1. Go to the Library eResources webpage (a link can be found on the right of the University homepage) and enter Proquest Databases into the Finding eResources by Title box. 2. At the next screen click on the resource title again Proquest Databases. On campus you will automatically be taken to the ASSIA home page. Off campus you will be taken to an Ezproxy login where you need to enter your University username and password.

2. Searching the database (Advanced search) a. From the opening search screen click on Advanced search. You will see 3 search boxes (you can add more if necessary by clicking on ‘Add a row’). b. Using the search strategy that you have prepared enter your search terms appropriately. You need to pick out the main idea in your question topic and think of any alternatives:  In the first search box, type all the words associated with the first key concept of your topic and separate these with OR;  In the second search box, do the same for the next key concept of your topic;  If you have further key concepts, do the same for each.

Search tips reminder  “phrase searching” (use quotation marks);  Truncation: crim* for crime, criminals, criminality (use the * symbol);  AND to get articles containing both ideas;  OR to get articles containing either idea. Your search strategy should look similar to this:

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April 2014 ProQuest databases: a brief guide

c. At this point you can use the Search options to refine your search (by date etc.) or you can do this after you run the search; d. Click Search to run the search.

3. Understanding the results  The number of results found will be displayed at the top of the results screen;  Results will be listed by relevance, though you can change to e.g. date order by using the Sort results by: drop-down menu at the top right of the results display;  Brief details of each article found are given (Article title / Author(s) / Journal details / Date);  You can click on the Citation/Abstract button to see a summary of the article;  Click on the article title to see the full details of the article.

4. Refining results using filters  You can refine your results by using the options down the right-hand side of the screen, Source type / Subject / Language…etc. Just tick the boxes for the options you want;  Select Peer Reviewed for top quality academic articles that have undergone the peer review process;  Use the date slider to focus on the years you want.

5.Finding the full text  Not all the articles listed will be available in full text from the J.B. Priestley Library. Some articles will be available as full-text within the database (those with the Full text - PDF icon and link).  For the others, click on the SFX icon to check if Bradford has full-text access to the article. The SFX window will pop-up with links to the full-text if available.  If full-text is not available check the Library catalogue for paper copies.  If neither electronic nor paper versions are available through Bradford then the article can be obtained via the Inter Library Loans service http://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/services/inter-library-loans/

6. Keeping your results  To select the article to save, tick the box to the left of each reference.  Options include: Save to My Research, Email, Print, and Export/Save.

April 2014 ProQuest databases: a brief guide To Save to My Research Click on My Research located on the blue bar at the top and then select Create a My Research Account. Once an account is set up articles and searches can then be permanently kept provided you have signed in.

To email Click on the Email icon, and fill in the form that appears as follows: o Content: Leave as it is; o Bibliography: Leave as it is; o Include: You may want to de-select the options here; o Email addresses: Enter your email address; o Your name: It is necessary to enter your name here; o Subject: Put the title of your question; o Email format:Choose HTML or Text only. Click on Continue.

To Save  Mouse over the Export/Save icon and you will see a list of options;  Choose one of either PDF or RTF or Text;  A pop-up box will give you format options (same ones as in the table above);  ProQuest will then download your results giving the choice to Open or Save them.

OR to Export The final option is to export the references to reference management software, for example Endnote/Endnote Web.  Mouse over the Export/Save icon to see the list of options;  Choose Endnote, Citavi, or Reference Manager;  A pop-up box provides format options. You don’t need to make any changes;  Click Continue;  A message should appear at the bottom of the screen saying “Do you wish to open or save ProQuest documents …. from search.proquest.com?”  Select Open;  A pop-up box should appear in the centre of the screen asking you to choose destination Endnote or Endnote web. Note: Make sure you have downloaded the Cite-While-You-Write Plug-in and the Endnote Installers to your laptop/PC from Endnote Web;  Choose the version of Endnote you are using. A message will appear informing you that the reference(s) have successfully been exported to Endnote/Endnote Web. For more information about Endnote/Endnote Web please see http://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/library-resources/endnote/

April 2014