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EBSCOhost Integrated Search

Tutorial

Welcome to the EBSCOhost Integrated Search (EHIS) tutorial, designed to provide users with an overview of EBSCO’s Integrated Searching interface. In this tutorial, we will look at performing a basic

keyword search and also review the unique features available within EHIS.

From the Choose Databases screen, you have the option to choose databases grouped by subject or choose them each by name. When choosing databases by subject grouping, you can either click on the

hyperlinked database group name, or select multiple groups by placing a check in the box for each desired group and clicking Continue. To select individual databases by name, click the Databases A-Z link at the

top of the screen. In this example, we will select the General Resources group by clicking the group name.

We’ll begin by conducting a search for Global Warming from the Basic Search screen. To reveal all of the available search modes, limiters, and expanders, click the Search Options link. Note that when you are

searching both EBSCO and external (i.e. non-EBSCO) resources, some searching tools, including SmartText Searching and expanders, will not be available. If you would like to view the list of databases

being searched, click the Show all link above the Find field. Select your desired limiters and click Search.

As your search results begin to load, the EHIS progress screen will display. After results have been returned for all Tier 1 databases, the result list will be displayed. Tier 1 or key databases are determined

and configured by your administrator, and results from those databases will display in your result list. You can view available results immediately by clicking the Show Available Results Now button.

When results are available for all Tier 1 databases, the result list is displayed. If EHIS is still searching any other databases, the “retrieving results” graphic will display in the Integrated Search panel. If available,

select an article to read by clicking on the full text link. You can view an article’s summary by clicking the article title, or view a brief version of the summary by holding your mouse over the preview icon.

The Integrated Search panel displays the databases you are searching in the current session. Databases shaded in

blue and marked with a check after your search are Tier 1 databases, while those shaded in white are all other databases. If a database contains a blue hyperlink, results are available for your query. If a database is grayed out, no results for

your query were available. To view more information about a resource, hold your

pointer over the Source Description icon.

When a search is performed, the result list will first display results in Tier 1

databases only. If you would like to view results in other databases, click the

specific hyperlinked description to view items only from that resource. Or mark the check boxes for multiple resources

and click the View Results button found at the bottom of the Integrated Search

panel.

To view Integrated Search details outlining where your results are coming from, click the Details link above the result list. The first table highlights results available from Tier 1 databases which are displayed in the current Result List as well as the total number of results found per database, and the retrieval time for the

search. The second table highlights information for other databases not designated as a Tier 1.

You can filter your result list to view only results from a specific resource by clicking on the resource description when it is hyperlinked. In this example, we will select an external resource to see how you

can access full text from those other resources.

When full text is available from an external resource, you will see a Retrieve Item link on the result list as well as within the article’s summary. Note that when you click on a hyperlinked resource in the Integrated Search panel, it becomes highlighted in blue to indicate that results from that resource are currently appearing in the

result list.

When you add results from external sources to the session folder, or to your personal My EBSCOhost folder, those results are stored in the Other Content Sources area. All results from EBSCOhost databases

are stored in the Articles area of the folder.

At any time during your session, you can click on the Help link to view the complete online Help system. You may also visit the EBSCO Support Site at http://support.ebsco.com to browse our Knowledge Base of FAQs, download Help Sheets or User Guides, view additional tutorials, or see

what’s new in our Top Stories. This concludes the EBSCOhost Integrated Search tutorial.