Sample Searches

General Reference Center Sample Searches

General Reference Center is a general-interest database that integrates a variety of sources in one easy-to-use interface to enable searching of newspapers, reference books and periodicals, many with full-text and images. This database can be used to find the latest on current events, popular culture, business and industry coverage, the arts and sciences, sports, hobbies and more.

Search 1:

An e-mail search help request came in seeking a search strategy in General Reference Center Gold to retrieve full-text articles on Alaska and the coal industry.

Solution:

1. Opened General Reference Center Gold and went to the "Subject guide search" page to find out if "coal industry" was listed as a preferred term. It was.
2. Returned to the "Subject guide search" page and entered the "alaska and coal industry".
3. Checked the "to articles with text" and clicked on "Search" button.
4. More than 20 full-text articles were retrieved matching the requested search criteria.

Search 2:

How can one retrieve full-text articles in General Reference Center that discuss the concept of "Pax Americana"?

Solution:

1. Opened General Reference Center and went to the "Keyword search" page.
2. Entered "Pax Americana" in the entry box.
3. Selected the "Search for words in title, citation, abstract" option.
4. Checked the "to articles with text" box.
5. Clicked on the "Search" button and retrieved more than 20 articles.

Search 3:

A college student using General Reference Center Gold wanted to find a reference or encyclopedia description of the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking.

Solution:

1. Opened General Reference Center Gold and went to the "Keyword search" page.
2. Entered "Stephen Hawking" in the entry box and searched for words "in title, citation, abstract".
3. Checked the "Encyclopedia" and "Reference Books" boxes.
4. Clicked on the "Search" button and retrieved one detailed description of Dr. Hawking from The Columbia Encyclopedia.

Search 4:

How can one retrieve full-text articles in General Reference Center that talk about the neo-conservative think-tank called Project for the New American Century?

Solution:

1. Opened General Reference Center and went to the "Keyword search" page.
2. Entered "Project for the New American Century" in the entry box.
3. Selected the "Search for words in title, citation, abstract" option.
4. Checked the "to articles with text" box.
5. Clicked the "Search button and retrieved four articles.

Search 5:

A sales representative requested a search strategy on behalf of a prospective customer using General Reference Center Select looking for full-text articles on the "Road Map" in relation to the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Solution:

1. Opened General Reference Center Select and went to the "Subject guide search" page to look for preferred terms for the conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The preferred terms found were "Israel-Arab Conflicts" and "Jewish-Arab Relations". There was no preferred term for "Road Map".
2. Entered the "Advanced search" page.
3. Selected "Subject (su)" and entered "Israel-Arab Conflicts" in the first entry box, then selected "OR" from the dropdown box that followed.
4. Selected "Subject (su)" and entered "Jewish-Arab Relations" in the second entry box.
5. Over 1,860 full-text articles were retrieved and designated as search set "R1".
6. Cleared the first and second entry boxes, selected "Key Word (ke)" and entered "Road Map and R1" in the first entry box.
7. Clicked on the "Search" button and more than 20 full-text articles matching the requested criteria were retrieved.