Tag Archives: DiscoverEd

Library Databases search box now live!

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So, how have you been searching for databases for your studies so far?

Have you been using the link from myEd?

Or perhaps going straight to the Databases A-Z list or by subject?

Well, now there is another way that is user friendly and hopefully can increase your engagement with using databases. A Library Databases search went live a few weeks ago. Its aim is to improve the way you search for databases; you can either search by name (if you already know the name of the database you want to access) or by subject. Using either way, will limit the results in DiscoverEd to the ones that are most relevant.Library Database search bar

Here are two examples:

a) if you want to search for Westlaw, you type the name of the database and click on the search button. As soon as you do that, you will be directed to the Westlaw link in DiscoverEd                                                            Library Database search displaying the result for Westlaw

b) if you don’t know which database you want to access but instead search by subject, then you will get a list of databases that are relevant to the subject term you inserted. In this example, I used ‘law’.                                      Library Database search displaying the results for law

In both cases, please remember to sign in before you go any further so that you can access all the material we are subscribed to.

The usage of this new featured will be monitored over the next few months (in comparison to the Databases A-Z for example) and if you find it useful, any feedback will be welcomed.

Till then, happy searching and be in touch with any comments!

BOO-lean operators

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We know Hallowe’en was last week, but saw this on Twitter and it’s too good not to share! If you’ve ever wondered what library staff (and mathematicians and engineers and many other professions) talk about when they mention Boolean operators or logic gates, this handy infographic from @38mo1 may help!

A grid of three images across, two rows deep. Each image shows an example of Boolean searching/logic gates using halloween images of pumpkins and phrases to demonstrate. The first shows Trick OR Treat, two circles which overlap with the entire shape coloured. The second shows Trick AND Treat with just the overlapping area coloured. The third shows Trick XOR Treat with the area inside the circles which does not overlap coloured. The fourth shows Trick NOR Treat, with the area outside the circles and overlap coloured. The fifth shows Trick NAND Treat, with everything in the image apart from the overlapping area coloured. The sixth shows Trick XNOR Treat, which shows everything outside the circles plus the overlapping areas coloured but not the main body of each circle.

Traditionally search engines and databases used Boolean operators along with keywords to help you search more constructively. Some (like Google) now accept natural language searching, but many academic or technical databases still require you to search in this format.

For example, if you search on DiscoverEd:

  • “Property Law” OR Servitudes: 70,745 results.
  • “Property Law” NOT Servitudes: 57,500 results.
  • “Property Law” AND Servitudes: 154 results.

Those little connecting words can make all the difference!

For more help with searching, watch this short video (9 minutes) about Search Techniques on our Law Librarian Media Hopper Channel. Unfortunately pumpkins not included.