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Support : eNewsletters : Training Updates : Issue 2, May 2011

Training Updates

From the Editor

ProQuest Dialog
looking sharp!

Read information professional Joanna Ptolomey's article on ProQuest Dialog in VIP LiveWire. arrow

Spring has sprung and with it many new training and support initiatives. In fact, it's hard to decide what to talk about first—from new ProQuest Dialog™ webinars, the new Support Center, ProSheets, the Training and Support Page with all ProQuest Dialog information in one spot or the Expert Insights blog! And, if that's not enough, this issue also has search techniques for legacy Dialog and ProQuest Dialog. Read on!

ProQuest Dialog training classes

Set searching, post-processing tools, transactional pricing and much more! With many new features in the latest release of ProQuest Dialog, now more than ever is the time to sign up for training classes to develop your search expertise!

Join our experts who will familiarize you with the ProQuest Dialog interface and how to use many of the new features.

  • ProQuest Dialog Training and Support pageIntroduction to ProQuest Dialog provides instruction on the key features and functionality of the new service. You will learn about content coverage and database selection, basic search features, review of search results and tools for translation and citation. Webinars are held on April 26, 28, May 3, 5 and 10.
  • Developing ProQuest Dialog Expertise for the Professional Searcher lets you further develop your ProQuest Dialog search expertise in the first of a series of Webinars introducing the advanced and precision search features used most often by professional searchers. Sign up for a class on May 12, 18 or 25.
  • Developing Content Research Expertise Webinars will also be offered in May to introduce searchers to both basic and advanced search techniques for research in the biomedical, pharmaceutical and engineering databases on ProQuest Dialog.

In addition, a new dedicated ProQuest Dialog training page provides resources to learn more about the new service all in one spot—a list of Webinars, training materials, documentation and a link to the ProQuest Dialog Support Center. Watch for ProQuest Dialog sessions to be offered in French, German and Italian also in May. Register now!

New ProQuest Dialog Support Center now live!

ProQuest Dialog Support Center

The new ProQuest Dialog Support Center is now live. Created and maintained by the Global Customer Support Team, get answers to frequently asked questions or browse through its searchable library covering how to select databases, view results and review special features. From the Support Center you can also locate search aids, e-learning resources and example searches.

Designed to complement the help information accessible from within ProQuest Dialog, check it out!

New ProSheets

Bluesheets on Dialog and DataSheets on DataStar have been around almost as long as Dialog and DataStar themselves. Our new ProSheets follow in this tradition and provide professional researchers with all the information they need to perform command line searching. This includes descriptions of the databases, available search fields with examples showing you how to create precise searches, limit options and more. Currently, 17 databases have detailed ProSheets. We will continue to add new ones until they are available for all databases.

ProSheets are also available from the Support Center, just click the ProSheet Look Up tab and select the ProSheet you want.

Visit Dialog's Expert Insights blog!

Dialog's BlogIf you haven't visited Dialog's new blog Expert Insights from Dialog Global Customer Support, don't delay. Complementing Dialog's other social media offerings—Twitter and Facebook—the blog highlights training information, online and self-paced courses, documentation, training materials and much more. Learn more about ProQuest Dialog. Sign up for the blog now!

Scheduled Training Courses

Mark your calendar: Instructor-led Web-based courses

Expand your search skills and knowledge of Dialog whatever your skill level—novice to power searcher. Attend Dialog's live, Web-based training offered worldwide and in different languages.

  • Cited Reference SearchingDiscover: Biomedical, Pharmaceutical, Technical
    • Cited Reference Searching in SciSearch® Files on May 4
    • Making Meaningful Competitive Intelligence Reports on May 12
  • Validate: Patents
    • Deciphering Worldwide Patent Families in Derwent World Patents Index® and INPADOC on April 26
    • Finding Patent and Literature Citations in Patent Files on April 28
  • Market: Business and News
    • Essential Tools for Business and Market Research on April 27

Register now and check the Training Web site for more courses offered in May.

Note: Online courses are also offered in French and German. Just email customer@dialog.com to register.

Documentation

Coming Soon: Self-paced modules illustrate new ProQuest Dialog features

Review two new self-paced modules to learn more about the latest features on ProQuest Dialog.

  • Use the online thesaurus — Follow a search through Embase illustrating how easy it is to use the thesaurus in Embase and MEDLINE. Learn how Explode can help you in your biomedical search.
  • Advanced Search with new features — See how to conduct an Advanced Search using features including new display options, post-processing, transactional pricing, Alerts and RSS.

With one click you can now try out its new features at your own pace and time in self-paced modules.

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In this issue

ProQuest Dialog Search Techniques

Use truncation effectively on ProQuest Dialog

ProQuest Dialog provides special characters for special purposes and this applies especially to truncation. Dialog and DataStar searchers will be happy to learn about the availability of left-hand truncation. Indeed, the new service has the power to uncover terms with variants not only in beginnings and endings, but in the middle as well.

Truncation on ProQuest Dialog revolves around two characters: the wildcard – ? – and the truncation character – *. The question mark stands for a single character. CAT? retrieves CATS, CATE, CATO, etc., but not CAT. If you want CAT in singular or plural forms, enter CAT. ProQuest Dialog will find the plural form. If you enter COMPUT???, the system will find COMPUTERS or COMPUTING, but not COMPUTE or COMPUTES. Use the * instead to find all variant word endings after COMPUT. Don't worry about British or American spelling, such as estrogen or oestrogen: ProQuest Dialog will find both.

The asterisk replaces one or more characters. Use the * for beginning, middle or endings of words. For example, *benzene finds terms like alkylbenzene, benzene, divinylbenzene, hexaflurobenzene, trihydroxybenzene, and more.

Enter *GLYC*M* and retrieve articles with words like hypoglycemia, glycemia, glycaemia, glycemic, glycemia and more. Review the At a Glance module on truncation to see ProQuest Dialog in action!

Learn more about truncation and other features in ProQuest Dialog that build on the power of Dialog. Register for both Introduction to the New ProQuest Dialog Service and Developing ProQuest Dialog Search Expertise.

Dialog Search Techniques

Uncover drug names and synonyms in Embase

MagnifyDo you have a drug name and you need to find its preferred nomenclature, synonyms and CAS® Registry Number? You can easily find it on Dialog. Several files allow for quick discovery of drug nomenclature. Why is this important? The biomedical literature rarely mentions brand names. Depending on the database, you have to know the United States Adopted Name (USAN) or the International Non-Proprietary Drug Name. Embase® is quick to index drug names — and, it has a field for brand name, which makes it painless to locate at least some records and browse the indexing if all you know is the brand name. Embase is a good place to start and it's as easy as EXPAND.

A lot has been written in the press about the first oral drug that can slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. The FDA approved fingolimod, marketed as Gilenya. Your assignment is to find scientific literature about fingolimod.

BEGIN 72 (Embase) and EXPAND fingolimod to see if it has related terms. Indeed, it has seven related terms. EXPAND E3. Now look for terms that are synonyms, marked by the letter S in the Third column, "Type." The lab codes FTY 720 OR FTY720 appear as synonyms, as well as the CAS® Registry Number, also identified as a synonym.

Next, EXPAND the brand name Gilenya. There are no related terms, so SELECT E3. Combine Set 1 and Set 2 by SELECTing S1:S2. The colon acts as OR in this range. Create a temporary SearchSave by entering SAVE <save name> TEMP.

BEGIN Files 154,72,55,34 CURRENT. Although the CURRENT feature is not available in MEDLINE® (File 154), it is active in Embase® (File 72), BIOSIS Previews® (File 55) and SciSearch®: a Cited Reference Science Database (File 34). EXECUTE the SearchSave. You can further LIMIT the results by SELECTing the last set and year (Set/yyyy).

REMOVE DUPLICATES (RD) and DISPLAY SETS FROM EACH.

Command SummaryTYPE the first few records FROM each in a free format to browse results and choose records to TYPE in Format 9.

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Search Example

Topic: Uncover drug names and synonyms in Embase

b 72 current
e fingolimod
e e3
r1 or r5 or r6 or r  arrowUse OR rather than the range colon
e gilenya
s e3
s s1:s2  arrowThe colon acts as OR save temp fingolimod
b154,72,55,34 current
exs
s s3/2011
rd
ds s5 from each
t s5/6/1-2 from each

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