Lesson 2-3 - Truncation: Searching Classic Dialog for the Life Sciences Professional

Truncation

Step 2: Using Search Word Variants: Truncation

To retrieve variations in word endings, we can place a question mark (?) which acts as a wildcard at the end of a word stem. The Dialog system does not care how many characters follow the word stem.

Thus, in the following example, all words beginning with the letters POISON are retrieved.

Truncation helps to broaden a search.

Example:

s poison?

Searches:

poison
poisoned
poisoning
poisons

Quick Check 1: Look at the search terms we just identified in Step 1 to see where variant spellings can be used. Write down the search terms and add a truncation symbol (?) to appropriate search terms. Check yourself

2-3

Learn More #1:

1. (N) Connector: To search a phrase without regard to the order of the words, we use the (N) connector between words. For example, BONE?(N)IMPLANT? retrieves records with the phrases: BONE IMPLANT(S) or IMPLANTED BONE(S).

Example:

bone(n)implant?

Retrieves:

bone implant
bone implants
implanted bone

2. (W) Connector: To search an exact phrase, we use the (W) connector between words in the phrase. For example, GENE(W)THERAPY retrieves records where the two words appear next to each other and in this exact order.

Example:

sea(w)based(w)drug

Retrieves:

sea-based drug(s)
sea based drug(s)

3. (#N, #W) Connectors: Both the (W) and (N) connectors may have a number inserted — for example, (2w), (3n), etc. — which specifies a maximum number of intervening words that are allowed. It is almost always better to use (N) with a number: (1N), (2N), etc.

Example:

burkitt?(1w)lymphoma

Retrieves:

Burkitt lymphoma
Burkitts lymphoma
Burkitt's lymphoma

Example:

pain(1n)killer?

Retrieves:

pain killer(s)
killers of pain

4. (L) Connector: The (L) connector links heading and subheadings in the descriptor field.

Example:

hypoglycemia(L)side effect

Retrieves: Hypoglycemia as a heading linked to the subheading side effect or SI

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