DIALOG@Site provides you with the familiarity of DIALOG OnDisc databases over the convenience of your Intranet. The search and sort options for every database are the same as what you see with our DIALOG OnDisc products, plus we've added some features for expanding and browsing indexes.
You can read this online document for an overview of the new interface, or click one of the hypertext links at the top of the screen to quickly go to the topic of interest. We've documented all the new features, but if you can't find the answer to your question, please email us at one of the following addresses and we'll get right back to you with an answer:
or additional printed documentation,
email: customer_oxford@dialog.com
For information about the fields in a specific database, click the question mark next to a field. For information about the content of a database, click Details on the database screen after your database selection.
Navigating through DIALOG@Site is done by making selections with the click of your mouse. When searching, use the DIALOG@Site navigation buttons to move between the search and display pages. Using your browser's navigation buttons may cause incorrect search results. Search terms are either typed in or selected from an indexed list. To activate any function, you must click it with the mouse; pressing Enter on your keyboard will not work.
The databases that are available for searching with DIALOG@Site display when you first log on. The available databases are controlled by your system administrator. You can return to this screen at any time to select a new database by clicking Database at the top of the search screen.
To open a database:
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Choose an editable format first. If you define a display format and select [None] or [KWIC] you will get this error message, because you can not amend these formats. Please select a different format.
Couldn't retrieve format information.. Format information may be in use by another user.
Enter the same new password in both boxes. This appears if you have made an error entering your new passwords. Please re-enter new password in both boxes as directed.
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The quota for the resource has been reached. The administrator has configured the software so that the number of users access the database at one time does not exceed the license. If a user does not click Logout to end a session, the software may not release the session, depending on whether a time-out function was configured. Contact your administrator if the problem persists. It could be a sign that your company needs to increase its number of licenses.
There are no databases mounted that you have permission to access. Your user name is valid, but has not been added to a group that has rights to access a database. Please contact your administrator for help.
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This result set is no longer available. You deleted the set from a different browser window, or you were inactive for too long and the set was purged. You can no longer access this set.
This result set contains no records. A search or refinement gave you an empty set, i.e. no records found.
You do not have permission to access the resource. You are a valid user, but you do not have the rights to view a particular resource. Please see your Administrator to set you up with permission to access the database.
You must choose a(n) XXX before continuing or Select a(n) XXX first. There is a selection box associated with the action you tried to perform, but you didn't select any of the items in it. Please select item before activating function.
The main search page consists of:
The Search field is used to search all basic index fields for your term(s) in one step. If you want to know what fields are included in the list of basic indexes for your database, click the question mark next to the Search field to view the online help.
Entering search terms differs between indexed and text fields.
An indexed field, designated by an index button, contain one or more words indexed as a single term. For example, an Author field will quite possibly index the first and last name, such as Smith John. It is recommended that you use the index button when searching indexed field to ensure accurate results. See Index Search for more information.
A text field, designated by the absence of an index button, allows for more complex searches optionally containing multiple terms and logical operators. To search a text field:
The screen refreshes and displays a search history window above the available search fields as well as options to display records or modify your search.
The search history window displays the list of search strategies that have been entered and the results of those searches. For example, a line that states: S1:10 records: DOG OR CAT means set 1 contains 10 records with the words DOG or CAT.
Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) can be used in your search strategy or you can gain this same effect by modifying a search and using the Narrow, Widen or Exclude buttons.
When using multiple terms in a search strategy, the order of search is from left to right unless parentheses are used, in which case the operations inside the parentheses are performed first. The wildcard character, a question mark (?), can also be used to find variations of a root word. For example, entering COMPUT? would retrieve records for COMPUTER, COMPUTERS, COMPUTING, and COMPUTATION. This truncation symbol can only be used at the end of a root term, not at the beginning or embedded in the term. For example, ?GUARD or COL?R are not legal search terms.
In addition, you can use periods to delineate the distance between search terms. For example, MINI...CARS, where the term CARS follows within three words of the term MINI. This search would retrieve MINI VANS AND SPORTS CARS, but not SPORTS CARS AND MINI VANS
To modify an existing search:
The screen refreshes and updates the search history window with the new search results.
The Narrow search option will general reduce the current number of records by including another concept in the strategy. This requires that both of the terms appear in the results: Term 1 AND Term 2.
To narrow an existing search:
The Widen search option increases the current set of records by including more terms or synonyms for a concept. This requires that at least one of the terms appears in the results: Term 1 OR Term 2.
To expand an existing search:
The Exclude search option eliminates records that contain a particular term: Term 1 NOT Term 2.
To exclude an existing search:
The Intersect option is used to combine all highlighted sets. The results are records that include the terms used in Set 1 AND Set 2. To use this option:
The sets you have highlighted are combined with AND, and the refreshed set will display at the top of the search history box.
The Union option is used to combine all highlighted sets. The results are records that include the terms used in Set 1 OR Set 2. To use this option:
The sets you have highlighted are combined with OR, and the refreshed set will display at the top of the search history box.
Most database search options, such as Author or Title Name, can be browsed by clicking on the arrow next to the name and expanding the index. This displays a listing of the actual database terms in the field.
To expand a search term:
Multiple terms are combined using the OR operator and display in the search history box.
The Clear button deletes the highlighted set in your search history window. If no set is highlighted, the latest set is deleted. Any search terms entered into fields are also cleared.
To delete multiple sets:
Saving a search strategy allows you to reuse a search you've created in another database, or to call up the strategy again in the same database at another time.
To save a search strategy:
You can reuse a search strategy you have saved with the Restore option. If you execute the saved search in a different database, you may get zero hits if the database doesn't contain the same fields. To run a saved strategy:
The strategy runs on the database you are currently in and returns you to the search page.
You can remove a search strategy you have saved with the Delete option.
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You can display records by clicking Title List and then selecting the records you want to display, or by clicking the Display button and displaying the first record in the set.
From this screen you can perform several functions, perhaps the most important is that you can select multiple records to view, print or save. For example select records 3, 8, 10 and 12 from the set of retrieved results. See Marking Records for further information.
The Title List is useful when you want a quick view of the full set of records that you have retrieved. One line of text is displayed for each record, making it easy to verify that your search strategy is retrieving the kinds of records you want. The Title list operates on the current highlighted set in the search history box.
To display records using the Title List; click Title List on the search page. The display updates with list of titles in the highlighted set. The following menu options are available.
To display the complete record:
The Format options allows you to create your own user-defined display and to save the format for future use.
To edit the display format:
You can sort your retrieved set of records with the same sort options available with any DIALOG OnDisc database. To sort your records:
Printing your records is largely based on the web browser software you are using to access DIALOG@Site. You can create your display Format using the option and then use the File/Print option of your browser.
Saving your records is largely based on the web browser software you are using to access DIALOG@Site. You can create your display format using the Format option and then use the File/Save option of your browser.
When saving a file, the default extension of .EXE displays in the SAVE AS window. This extension must be changed to .HTM or .TXT. Files saved with the .HTM extension can be opened in your browser. Files saved with the .TXT extension can be imported into a word processor or spreadsheet
Limits, such as English records only, are available for most databases and are used to reduce the size of your search results. When limits are available, they are displayed after the search options in the form of check boxes.
To limit a set:
The resulting set will display in the search history window.
The Options page allows you to do the following:
It is important to log out of DIALOG@Site when you're finished searching so that licenses are freed up for other users. All searches performed will be erased from the Search History box when you log out.
To log out, click Logout at the top of the search screen, a list of all the databases you have searched will appear, click OK to log out.
Although you will still appear to be accessing the database if you use your browser's navigation buttons to return to the search or display pages, it is only the information in your system's cache that you are accessing. No new searches will be retrieved.