Introduction

The number and variety of databases in Dialog makes it more difficult to identify which databases to search. But, if your are looking information in a defined subject area, it is valuable to have a tool that tells you what databases are relevant to the subject. This helps target your search and, hopefully, reduce the costs of your searching, a particular problem with a search tool (such as Dialog) that has per-search, per-time, and per-record-display fees. OneSearch categories are such a tool.

Details

• Each OneSearch category consists of a group of databases, all of which contain a substantial amount of information about a particular broad (or narrow) subject.
• Look in the Databases by OneSearch Group - Alphabetic List Bluesheet at http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/html/blo.html for the list of categories and subcategories.
• You can also find these in the Dialog Database Catalog (.pdf format) at: http://support.dialog.com/publications/dbcat/dbcat_2005_pp303-357.pdf
  • Alphabetical list of OneSearch categories
    • This is on pages 310-313 of the Dialog Database Catalog (.pdf format).
  • Data type list of OneSearch categories
    • This is on pages 314-316 of the Dialog Database Catalog (.pdf format).
  • Subject list of OneSearch categories
    • This is on pages 317-357 of the Dialog Database Catalog (.pdf format).
    • This list may be one of your most valuable tools for selecting databases to search, as it provides both targeted lists of databases, but also because those selections give you a better idea of the content of many databases that you might not think contained much information on a specific subject.
• OneSearch categories enable the searching of multiple databases while only entering search terms once.
• NOTE: Many individual databases are in multiple OneSearch categories

Usage

• In DialogWeb, you can select to search various categories by starting with the Databases search mode.
  • Starting from the broadest categories, select the subcategories until you reach the level of specificity you want.
  • When you reach a bottom-level category, you are given the opportunity to:
    • Select all databases by clicking on the "Select All" button
    • Clear the selections.
    • Select specific databases by checking the check boxes by each database number and name.
• In DialogClassic and the text-based (telnet) interface, you can search a OneSearch group of databases by using the begin "b" command followed by the name of the OneSearch category.

Hierarchy of OneSearch Groups/Categories

• There are comprehensive, broad, and narrower OneSearch categories.
• The broad categories each contain many sub-categories, which, in turn, contain several narrower, more specific categories (or collections of databases). This can be seen when you select "Databases" when searching via the DialogWeb interface.
• The hierarchy is as follows:

  OneSearch Level	Example Categories
  	DialogClassic & Telnet	DialogWeb Equivalent
  Search Everything	all (considered at SuperCategory)	Click on all databases bullet.
  OneSearch SuperCategories	allbusiness	business
  		Industries and Markets
  		Industry News
  OneSearch Categories	BIOBUS Biosciences and Biotechnology Industry	BIOBUS Biosciences and Biotechnology Industry News
  Individual Databases: Example	Current Biotechnology Abstracts (File 358)	Current Biotechnology Abstracts (File 358)

Using OneSearch via DialogWeb

1. Login to DialogWeb.
2. Be sure that you are in Command Search
3. Click on Databases
4. Pick a category relevant to your search.
5. Enter your search.
   • NOTE: Do not use Search Steps ( ss ). Remember, at this point you are just trying to decide on which specific databases to search.
   • A list of databases containing the search terms as you entered them will be returned.
6. Click on the Select All button.
7. Click on the Sort Results button to automatically rank the databases by the number of hits.
8. Check the Check Boxes to the left of the databases you want to search.
9. Click on the Begin Databases button
   • This will bring up a window with 2 frames.
   • In the bottom frame, the Begin command ( b )will be entered followed by the numbers of the databases that you select.
10. Click on the Submit button to the right of the entry field.
11. Now, you are ready to search the databases that you have selected.

Using OneSearch via DialogClassic

• Login to DialogClassic
• Now, you have two choices:
  • Start a DialIndex search to decide which databases to search by entering B411.
  • Directly search a OneSearch category or or multiple files.
• If you want to do:

  1. A DialIndex (File 411) search in one or more OneSearch categories and/or multiple files, then:

  • In the Command field, type B411 and click on the Submit button.
  • Select the OneSearch and other individual files to search by typing SF <onesearch category(ies)> and/or <file names> .
    • Examples:
      • sf busecon, energybu, 468
      • sf 44, 82, 144, 368
  • Enter your search.
    • NOTE: Do not use Search Steps ( ss ). Remember, at this point you are just trying to decide on which specific databases to search.
    • Example: s business(8w)(solar()energy)
    • A list of databases containing the search terms as you entered them will be returned.
    • Type rf to rank the files by the number of occurrences of the terms in the database.
    • Select the databases to search by typing b nx, nx, nx. For example, b n1, n3-n5, n6
    • Now you are ready to search the databases that you selected.

  2. A direct search for records in one or more OneSearch categories and/or multiple files that you ha, then:

  • In the Command field, enter the OneSearch categories or multiple files that you want to search, then click on the Submit button.
    • Format
      • b <OneSearch Category> - NOTE: You can search multiple OneSearch Categories or add individual databases (files), all separated by commas.
      • You can also enter a group of files: b file#, file#, file# up to 60 files
    • Examples
      • b medicine,85
      • b 146,275,607-609
  • Enter your search and click the Submit button.
    • Note: Since you are actually conducting your search, then you just have to enter your search statements. Be sure to use Select steps ( ss ) so that you can understand the occurrences of your terms and retain the flexibility to configure subsequent searches.