Slide 1
Occasionally, when you search several files on Dialog at once, you want to take full advantage of each of the databases you use. The Dialog programmers anticipated this very thing and created the FROM qualifier. This Dialog At a Glance short module shows you the powerful FROM EACH option.
The session assumes you know how to use basic searching techniques on Dialog. It may serve as a refresher on the mighty FROM EACH tool.
Slide 2
In this session you will learn when and why to use the FROM qualifier. As you will see, the FROM qualifier was designed for multifile searching, and you will understand applications where using the FROM qualifier helps you to identify retrieval from each of the databases you search in a particular session.
Slide 3
As mentioned previously, the FROM qualifier was designed for Dialog OneSearch®. OneSearch simply means using more than one file.
The FROM qualifier allows you to pinpoint particular files during a OneSearch and gives you a way to analyze your retrieval from the several files you are searching. One of the main functions of FROM EACH is that it provides a way for you to display the first few records FROM EACH of the files you are searching.
Slide 4
As you can see, there are many applications for the FROM qualifier. When you are searching multiple files, you may want to SELECT specific indexed terms from one database or another.
A major use of the FROM EACH qualifier is in the DISPLAY SETS command.
You can EXPAND from particular files while in a OneSearch.
Another key use of the FROM feature is to TYPE or PRINT the first few records FROM EACH database.
You can enter the KEEP command FROM a particular file.
Slide 5
Patent searchers can use the Identify Patent Duplicates (IDPAT) command FROM specific files.
SORT FROM is another application. Note that when you are in a OneSearch and you wish to SORT fields other than the Publication Year or Publication Date you must use the FROM qualifier. The reason is that different files have different indexing and may have different fields.
While in a OneSearch you can RANK and MAP on specific fields FROM particular files.
Slide 6
In a OneSearch, Dialog retrieves records database by database. In the example shown here, a search produced 387 records. What appears here comes from DISPLAY SETS FROM EACH in a search in Files 9, 16 and 148. 152 records came from File 9; 22 records came from File 16 and File 148 had 213 records. If you were to TYPE records 1-10, all 10 records would come from File 9. Dialog created the TYPE FROM EACH feature to give you a way to quickly analyze your retrieval from each of the databases searched.
Slide 7
Let's take a search example. We want to find articles about the automaker Chrysler's business strategies going forward. We BEGIN three key trade-journal literature databases: Business & Industry™ (File 9), Cengage Gale's PROMT® (File 16) and Cengage Gale's Trade & Industry Database™ (File 148). Our SELECT statement has to do with the company name and strategy as an indexed term or as it appears in titles or in the lead paragraphs of records.
In a OneSearch, REMOVE DUPLICATES, and then DISPLAY SETS FROM EACH. Note that you can DISPLAY specific SETS FROM EACH. You have a lot of flexibility with this feature.
Once you have analyzed the number of records from each database, then proceed with looking at records, TYPEing one or two records FROM EACH database.
Slide 8
Here's the beginning of a OneSearch. BEGIN Files 9, 16 and 148 using the CURRENT feature, restricting our search to records added this year and last year, taking note of file banner messages about CURRENT. Enter the search statement, qualifying to fields such as Title, Company, Descriptor and Lead Paragraph.
Slide 9
REMOVE DUPLICATES, then DISPLAY SETS FROM EACH.
The first set shows results from the search. Set 2 is the set with the unique records after REMOVE DUPLICATES. Notice that File 16 retained the 22 records, while Files 9 and 148 had some duplicates dropped.
Slide 10
You can DISPLAY specific SETS if you like. For example, DISPLAY Set 2 FROM EACH.
Slide 11
The record shown here is the first record from File 9 after we TYPEd the first two records FROM EACH in Format 8, a free format in these files, which shows titles, publication dates and indexed terms. Browsing records this way is helpful in determining if we're on the right track and in looking for descriptor terms we may not have thought of in preparing the search.
Notice the fields in the record from File 9. Each database has specific, powerful indexing. File 9 has a field called Concept Terms. It looks like we found something relevant with the Concept Term "Corporate Strategy" indicating this article is right on target. The record also is about product introduction.
Slide 12
This is the first record from File 16, the second database in our BEGIN statement. Like the record from File 9, this record is in Format 8. Notice that File 16 has a field called Event Names. The Event Name Strategy & Planning indicates we have retrieved another highly relevant article. The number 220 is the Event Code for Strategy & Planning: something to keep in mind when we want to refine our search. File 16 also provides Standard Industrial and North American Classification System codes in addition to product names and codes. It looks like this article has to do with financial issues and legal action that Chrysler plans to take.
Slide 13
The first record from File 148 is record number 175 in the set. Our keyword "strategy" appears in the title. From the title, Event Names and descriptor terms it seems likely that this article is about managing and strategies in the auto industry.
We've looked at the first records in Format 8 from each of the databases to illustrate the flexibility that Dialog provides in multifile searching. Let's look at other commands that take advantage of the FROM qualifier.
Slide 14
In a OneSearch you can SELECT FROM a specific database or group of files that have special index fields. The first statement takes advantage of the Concept Term field in File 9 to find records about corporate strategy. The second statement retrieves records about Chrysler and seeks only articles indexed with the Event Name of Strategy & Planning from Files 16 and 148.
Slide 15
You can EXPAND FROM particular files in a OneSearch.
Here, we're looking for articles from a specific author and specific company indexing in File 148, which has strong coverage of such areas as management techniques, financial earnings, economic climate, product evaluations and executive changes.
When you EXPAND FROM a database, SELECTing E Reference numbers will retrieve only records from that database.
Slide 16
In another example of EXPAND FROM, we look at two key biomedical databases, MEDLINE® and Embase® (Files 154 and 72). MEDLINE uses MeSH terminology, which has its own indexing syntax, and Embase uses Emtree vocabulary, often with a different set of rules. Embase is very strong in providing pointers to the preferred terms for drug brand names, which is why we are EXPANDING the drug name Actiq FROM 72. When we EXPAND E3, we find the preferred term, fentanyl citrate, a pain reliever for chronic pain.
Slide 17
Select R2 to retrieve the preferred term in Embase for actiq. Select the drug brand name Actiq from both files; then OR the sets. REMOVE DUPLICATES.
In the next step we want to make sure that our preferred term is the major focus of the article, and we want to qualify to English language articles. This gets the retrieval down to a manageable number, because next we're going to RANK FROM 72.
Slide 18
Now we can RANK FROM 72 to find out who is writing about Actiq (or fentanyl citrate). This gives us a list of experts on the subject.
Slide 19
You can also identify patent duplicate records FROM selected files while in a OneSearch. Following a search in the PATENTS OneSearch category, we decide to identify patent duplicates just from Files 340 and 351. The command is IDPAT FROM 340,351.
Slide 20
This Dialog At a Glance short On-Demand module showed many applications of the FROM qualifier. You learned that the FROM option is designed for multifile searching.
Using the FROM qualifier you can:
Slide 21
Dialog's Knowledge Center is on hand to help you or answer questions. Call 1-800-3-Dialog within North America, or 00-800-33-Dialog outside of North America.
Be sure to take advantage of free training offered throughout the year. Visit support.dialog.com/training for details.
Use the Essential Tools sites from www.dialog.com to locate the free search aids and resources that will help you make the most of Dialog's content, files and features.
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