Searching the NOVEL Databases:

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Searching the NOVEL Databases

• Thomson Gale
• Rochester Regional Library Council
• Louise Smith, Instructor

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NOVEL

• New York Online Virtual Electronic Library
• NOVEL is an electronic collection of books,
  e-journals, full text magazines, newspapers,
  encyclopedias and other databases.
  
• NOVEL is funded through a Library Services
  Technology Act (LSTA) grant.

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Who can participate in NOVEL?

• School, public, academic and research libraries
• Not for profit libraries
• Any library that is a member of a library system
  in New York State.
  
• Participating libraries are then able to provide
  access to their users via an internet connection.
  

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What are the benefits of NOVEL?

• NOVEL on the World Wide Web is a source of
  organized, high quality, reliable,
  child-friendly, current information not available
  free on the internet.

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Aim of NOVEL

• To increase access to electronic resources
  statewide.
  
• To expand resource sharing among NYS libraries.
• To enable all types of libraries to make digital
  information available to users from their homes
  and offices.
  
• To level the playing field for all New Yorkers
  by giving them access to the same resources.
  
• To provide savings to libraries through a program
  of statewide purchasing.
  
• To develop a NOVEL user interface (or portal)
  that integrates the services and resources of
  NOVEL.

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NOVEL Databases from Gale

• Health Wellness Resource Center
• Health Reference Center
• Informe (Revistas en Espanol)
• InfoTrac Custom Newspapers
• National Newspaper Index
• Gale Virtual Reference Library
• InfoTrac Junior
• Twaynes Author Index
• Business Company Resource Center

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These Thomson Gale databases have similar search
interfaces

• Informe designed to meet the research needs of
  Spanish speaking users with over 40 full text
  Spanish-language and bilingual magazines, reports
  and maps.
• Infotrac Custom Newspapers offers over 150 full
  text newspapers including NYS newspapers and the
  NYTimes full text for the current year.
  
• National Newspaper Index provides indexing of
  Americas top five newspapers NYTimes, Wall
  Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, LA
  Times and the Washington Post.
• New York State Newspaper Index
• Health Reference Center

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Health Reference Center

• A classic Gale database -- blue sidebar on left
  for navigation, standard search format.
  
• Use this database to find articles on Fitness,
  Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public
  Health, Occupational Health and Safety, Alcohol
  and Drug Abuse, HMOs, Prescription Drugs, etc.

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Gale Search Options

• Select your search term(s) or keyword(s).
• Search for word(s) in title, citation, or
  abstract or in entire article content.
  
• Limit your search by articles that are full text
  and/or articles that are refereed.
  
• Limit your search by a a particular day or within
  a date range.
  
• Limit your search to one publication, many, or
  all.

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Gale Search Interface for HRC
Search types
To see journals
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Health Reference Center Academic

• Gale standard use blue sidebar on left for all
  navigation. Notice the changing options.
  
• Subject Guide search yields helpful subdivisions
  of subject.
  
• Defaults to Keyword search if no results for
  Subject Guide search.
  
• Journal search available.
• Use Search History to compare results.

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Wild Cards

• An asterisk () stands for any number of
  characters, including none, and is especially
  useful when you want to find all words that share
  the same root.
• ?A question mark (?) stands for exactly one
  character and is especially useful when you're
  uncertain of a spelling.
  
• !An exclamation point (!) stands for one or no
  characters and is especially useful when you want
  to match the singular and plural of a word but
  not other forms. For example, product! matches
  product and products but not productive or
  productivity. The exclamation point can also be
  used inside a word to match certain variant
  spellings.

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Informe

•   1994 - present
• A collection of full text Hispanic magazines.
  Includes businesses, health, technology, culture,
  contemporary subjects and other matters.
  
• Presently the interface is in English.

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Newspaper Databases

• Custom Newspapers   1985- present Search a
  collection of 150 newspapers, both national and
  international.
  
• New York State Newspapers 1985- present Search
  this database of ten major newspapers published
  in the state of New York, including the New York
  Times and the New York Post.
• National Newspaper Index  1977 - current
  America's top five newspapers The New York
  Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian
  Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times and The
  Washington Post. Largely citations.

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Common Gale DB Interface for Newspaper Collection
s
Only to see newspaper titles
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Newspaper DB Search Tips

• Make use of different search types (keyword,
  relevance, advanced), then compare your search
  history on the beginning search screen.
  
• Take advantage of the various search parameters,
  dates, etc.
  
• Browse select the journals/newspapers.
• Keywords are in red in the actual articles. Handy
  for skimming.
  
• Valuable View Other Articles feature.

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NYS Newspapers

• Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY)Herald American
  (Syracuse, NY)Herald-Journal (Syracuse, NY)New
  York Observer (New York, NY)New York Post (New
  York, NY)New York TimesPost-Standard (Syracuse,
  NY)

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National Newspapers

• Christian Science MonitorLos Angeles TimesNew
  York TimesNew York Times Book ReviewNew York
  Times MagazineWall Street JournalWall Street
  Journal Eastern EditionWashington Post

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Custom Newspapers

• Atlanta Journal -Constitution
• Christian Science MonitorDetroit NewsFinancial
  Times (London)
  
• The Guardian (London)
• New York TimesInternational Herald Tribune
  (Paris)many more

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Gale Virtual Reference Library

•   Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of
  encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized
  reference sources for multidisciplinary research
  (business, history, medicine).

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Actual small business plans
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Gale Virtual Reference Library
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Health and Wellness Resource Center and
Alternative Health Module

•   Use this Resource Center to find magazines,
  journals, newspapers, definitions, directories,
  and information on Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine,
  Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational
  Health and Safety, Alcohol and Drug Abuse,
  Prescription Drugs, Herbal Remedies, and
  Alternative or Complementary Treatments, etc.
  Included are links to diet, cancer, and health
  assessment sites as well as government databases.

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Straightforward, Web-style interface

• Excellent link collection

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Health and Wellness Resource Guide

• Seven major categories encyclopedia, health
  organizations, news, drug herb finder,
  dictionary, alternative health encyclopedia,health
  assessment tools.
• Basic search capabilities -- may limit by date,
  full-text, and refereed.
  
• Health information from 1980 - current.
• Scheduled to replace Health Reference Center
  soon.
  

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• Two types of searching choice depends on how
  much the searcher already knows
  
• Specific/Subject Guide Search--using search boxes
  at the top -- launches a keyword search.
  
• General/Quick Search -- uses the category buttons
  browsing through the alphabetical lists that
  follow.
  
• Some searches bring up the hierarchical Subject
  Guide in a sidebar on the left. Use subjects to
  refine your search. Spelling help also available
  in the sidebar.

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Search Results
Title, authors, publication, issue, page
Citation only, no icon
Check box to create a marked list, for further

research
Icons for full text illustrated
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InfoTrac Junior Edition

•   This periodical database is designed for
  students in junior high and middle school, with
  magazines, newspapers and reference books (most
  are full-text) for information on current events,
  the arts, science, popular culture, health,
  people, government, history, sports and more.

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Infotrac Junior Edition
Defaults to All Sources
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Infotrac Junior Edition Tool Boxvery nicely
thought out presented
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InfoTrac Junior Search tips

• Try a Subject Search for rainforest
• Be sure to look at related subjects for more
  specific subject sub division.
  
• Make use of the Save List by placing checks in
  the save boxes and then retrieving or email your
  list.
  
• Advanced Search History is found under Advanced
  Search.

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Twayne Authors Series - Twayne World, English,
and US Authors  

• Twayne World, US, and English Authors each
  contains the full text of 200 frequently used
  Twayne Literary Masters books on individual
  World, US, or English authors, for a total of
  over 600 individual full-text titles.

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Twayne Authors Series - Main Menu  
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Twayne Authors A-Z

• View full text discussions of over 600 world
  authors works and chronologies of their lives.
  
• Helpful outline of the article about the author
  included after clicking on the authors name.
  
• List of each authors works.
• Articles are amply footnoted.
• Generally a high school reading level.

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Twayne In Depth Search
A straight forward user interface
All boxes need not be selected
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Twayne Research Ideas

• View topics with a highly selective,
  curriculum-related list of writers to use as
  research starting points.
  
• Divided into content areas corresponding to the
  three Twayne Author books
  
• World Authors
• United States Authors
• English Authors
• Authors grouped under period headings.
• Search for English Authors/Victorian Period.

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Business and Company Resource Center 

• Search this database to find detailed company and
  industry news and information.
  
• Business and Company Resource Center is a fully
  integrated resource bringing together company
  profiles, brand information, industry overviews,
  rankings, investment reports, company histories,
  market share data, HR Law Case Digests,
  chronologies and periodicals.

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Quick Search
Source Databases FAQs

• Different interface for each search type.
• Search tips are extensive

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Company Search

• Use the browse buttons
• Be as specific as possible to eliminate
• bloated results
• Use top tabs to switch search types

NAICS North American Industry Classification
System. It is replacing the SIC system for
classifying industries.

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Company Search

• Top tabs available after doing a company search.
  
  
• Not all of this information is available for
  every company.
  

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CompanyProfileIncludes
Company search defaults to company profile firs
t.
Valuable information all in one place.
Link to their Web site
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Industry Search
Do this first to find code to enter in top box.
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Article Search
Locate business news, journals, press releases

• Three types of searches

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Advanced Search
Many options
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Business Company Search Tips

• Use multiple, specific search terms Dow
  Chemical, Ford Motor.
  
• Find exact phrase with W operator Asian W1
  investors Asian within 1 word of
  investors.
  
• Use Boolean AND, OR, NOT.
• Try using synonyms IT market or tech
  stocks.
  
• Make use of Related Subjects.
• Use Advanced Search for an overview of
  everything.
  
• Make use of Mark Lists and Search Histories.
• When you Update View mark list you can
  email.