Health Reference
Center Academic (Gale Group)
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Why use this database?
This database is useful to students and anyone looking for health
information.
Description:
Articles on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases,
Public Health, Occupational Health & Safety, Alcohol and Drug
abuse, HMOs, Prescription Drugs,
etc. The material contained in this database is intended for informational
purposes only.
Coverage: 1980-present
Availability
and Use Restrictions:
In-Library Use: Available at all library locations
Remote Use: Massachusetts Public Library card required.
There are four search screens; Subject, Relevance, Keyword, and
Advanced.
Subject Searching
This searches subject terms assigned to each article.
- Type a word or words in the search box.
- Narrow your search if desired by using the limiting options,
full text, date, journal, article word.
- Click on SEARCH.
Relevance Searching
This search is most effective when 2 or more search terms are entered. Articles are assigned a higher relevancy depending on the frequency of use of terms.
- Type a word or words in the search box.
- Choose where the words will appear; in the title, citation,
abstract or in the article.
- Narrow your search if desired by using the limiting options,
full text, date, journal, article word.
- Click on SEARCH.
Keyword Searching
Allows you to match words in the articles themselves, not just Subject Terms.
- Type a word or words in the search box, use Boolean operators
if desired.
- Choose where the words will appear; in the title, citation,
abstract or in the article.
- Narrow your search if desired by using the limiting options,
full text, date, journal, article word.
- Click on SEARCH.
Advanced Searching
Allows you to build complex search expressions.
- Type information into the fields, select the type of search
(Name, Keyword, Full Text and Source).
- Use the Boolean operators to broaden or narrow the search.
- Narrow your search if desired by using the limiting options,
full text, date, journal, article word
- Click on SEARCH.
Using the Boolean Operators
Combining Terms
Use OR to connect similar terms. OR
broadens your search.
| Example: |
hispanic or latino |
Use AND to connect separate concepts.
AND narrows your search.
| Example: |
doctor and surgeon |
Use NOT to eliminate separate concepts. NOT
narrows your search.
| Example: |
kennedy not politician |
Truncating Terms
Use * to replace one or more characters at the
end of a search term.
|
Example: |
drug* (retrieves drug, drugs, druggist) |
Use ? to replace one character within a search
term.
|
Example: |
wom?n (retrieves woman, women) |
Use ! to indicate one character at the end of a search
term, may use multiple !.
|
Example: |
analo!! (retrieves analog, analogs but not analogous) |
Proximity Searching
Use n# to find terms within a specified number(#)
of words of each other regardless of the order.
|
Example: |
white n2 constance (retrieves White, Helen Constance;
Glenn,Constance White) |
Use w#
to find terms within a specified number(#) of words of each and
in a specific order.
|
Example: |
white w2 constance (retrieves White, Helen Constance;
but not Glenn,Constance White) |
View the records matching the last search by scrolling down the screen to HISTORY and click VIEW. When you are at the citation list:
- Use the scroll bar to move through the list.
- Click on the RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW
to display more entries.
- Click on an entry to display the matching full record.
- Use the scroll bar to move through the record.
- Click on CITATIONS to return to the list of results.
- Click in the check box next to the title on the Results List.
- Click on UPDATE MARK LIST.
- Click on VIEW MARK LIST to display the list of selected
records.
- Display the record to be printed.
- Click on your browser's FILE menu and select PRINT
PREVIEW.
- Make sure the pages are what you want. If you are using this
database within a BPL location there is a charge for computer
printing.
- Click PRINT.
- Click on OK.
- Click on BACK to back up.
- Display record to be downloaded.
- Insert a formatted disk into a floppy drive.
- Click on your browser's FILE menu and select SAVE
AS.
- Type the disk drive, the filename and .txt in the FILE
NAME box.
- Click on SAVE.
- Display record to be emailed.
- Click on EMAIL.
- Type your email address in the MAIL TO box.
- Click on SEND.
- Click on BACK to back up.
- Click in the search box at top of page and enter a new term.
Or, click on a search option below the name of the database.
- Click on HOME at the top of the screen to return
to the Boston Public Library Web site.
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