FIRSTSEARCH Hints

Jackie McFadden
Reference Librarian
Winthrop University
June, 2008

FirstSearch is a worldwide online system which provides easy access to a range of subjects in more than 20 databases including AGRICOLA, ArticleFirst, BasicBiosis, Dissertation Abstracts, ERIC, MEDLINE and WorldCat which contains records of materials found in 20,000+ libraries worldwide.

Locating FirstSearch from the Dacus Library Online Home Page

Click on the "Databases" button and select FirstSearch from the Alphabetical List of All Databases or choose individual FirstSearch database titles from the alphabetical list.

Searching and Retrieval Options

From the FirstSearch homepage, enter a search term in the search box and narrow it with a topic or database from the drop-down list.  You can also "Jump to Advanced Search" and choose a single database title. Click "Search". A list of databases with estimated results will be displayed.  Check the databases that you want to search and select.  Add any additional search terms and search.  Click on the blue title links to view the results.

Up to three databases can be searched at once. To access this option, click the databases tab to see a list of all FirstSearch databases. (For a detailed description of each database and to find the range of dates covered by the database, click the info button "i".) Put a check next to the databases that you want to search and click "select".  Enter any additional search terms in the database form and search.

If you are unsure of which database to search, choose Suggest Best Database and enter a term that your topic must contain.  Limit your term by topic area and click "List".  Choose up to three databases and search.

Once an index has been selected, you may perform a basic search (keyword subject, title or author ) or you may choose either advanced search or expert search.  The advanced search option allows you to enter up to three search terms and to limit them with choices from drop-down lists of options.  Expert search allows searching by logical search strings.

FirstSearch is not a full text database.  You must check to see if Dacus Library has the item you need or go through interlibrary loan to borrow the item if Dacus Library doesn't have it.  Click "WebBridge" located on the record of each article to see if a full-text link is available from the Dacus Online Catalog.

You may print, e-mail, or save citations and abstracts to a disk or flash drive.

Search Hints

To search for plurals, type a + at the end of your search term.  For example, if you type coach+, you will retrieve coach, coach's and coaches.  NOTE:  a + does not search for the plural form ies for words ending in y.

Type a w between two terms to search both words in the order typed (i.e., as a phrase).  For example, nursing w research retrieves records containing first nursing then research with no other words between them.

Be sure to click on the help button to find other search tips.

For assistance, please go to the Reference Desk or call 323-4501.