17:610:530 Principles of Searching

Tefko Saracevic

EXERCISE 4

Exercise 4 comes in two parts. In the first part you will take a tutorial on LexisNexis. In the second part you will do some tasks on nexis.com.

Part 1.

To take the tutorial:

First, go through booklets nexis.com User Guide, and nexis.com at-a-glance, which you received in class. Go though both. Remember that you can translate a lot from what you learned in DIALOG searching and structure, and general Boolean stuff. Get an overall idea about:

• what is LexisNexis all about

• for what audiences and questions may be most appropriate

• what array of sources are covered

• how to log in

• what search options you have (there are several)

• in each search option what is the basic approach to searching (and they differ)

• go through The Search Feature. Here is an example of translation: when you click All Words (default) it is a statement where all terms entered are connected with AND, Any Words are connected with OR, Exact Phrase is just that, the terms entered will be treated as (W).

• go through The Subject Directory Feature. Note similarity and differences to DIALOG Subject Category search

• go especially through Using Power Search (this is the equivalent to command search in DIALOG but note similarities and differences)

• for our subscription The Search Forms Feature is not available. It is directed to using targeted searches on given topics in a list, or one can create own topic list. However, with our subscription it can be used to add sources for easy and quick searching. Click on edit next to The search form and that will give you options for general sources to be added under the banner.

At this point most likely you will be confused. DO NOT PANIC! This is a most natural state - it is the same state as when somebody tries to teach you how to tie your shoelaces by telling you to read a description of the process. You will need to go back and forth through the Guide - the reading and learning is not linear. A lot of what you learned from DIALOG applies and can be translated, even though commands, selection of sources and other stuff are differently implemented. But all the basic principles apply. Vocabulary differs somewhat e.g.term files in Dialogspeak is sources in Nexisspeak is sites in Webspeak, and in general is information resources in Tefkospeak.

But also note that the printed literature we got from Nexis is not always reflective of what you actually see on the screen - the printed guides were not completely updated to reflect recent changes in the Nexis interface.

You do not have to hand in anything on this part.

Second, go to http://www.nexis.com

• while you are on the first page and before you login, click on the various information items. Go first to About nexis.com. Then go to What's New .

  • then View a Demo, (If you do not have it on your computer, for demo and tutorial you may need to download and install Shockwave, This is a general viewing program, and Nexis will guide you in downloading). View the demo in its entirety. Nothing to hand in.

• Then login - remeber to use your password as ID and your name as password. Note that you can check the remember ID and password box - do that from your home computer (if you wish to save some login time in the future), but NOT from a lab computer.

• Click on Tutorial (it is on the left side) and take it. Slowly.

  • for the tutorial BRIEFLY summarize main topics covered. Emphasize aspects that were new to you. Ask questions on what is not clear or could be clarified. Hand that in.

  • click on Whats new. See what's there. Do not hand in.

  Discuss all these things with members of your group.

• Continue:

• on the Nexis home page the default tab is Quick Search. To the right click on How this works. Go carefully, and several times through this. Follow some links. Beware of getting lost in the maze of links. I did.

• click on Power Search. Click on Search tips. Again go several times through this and follow links.

• go down to Subject Directory. Click on a category that interests you and follow it through. See what options you have and what do you get

• click on LexisNexisTM Risk Solutions, then click on tab Products and services. Check some. Check Credit card LexisNexis by to get pricing for individual use.

• for more adventurous go to Search Forms and click on Edit to add sources.

You do not have to hand in anything on this

• Next, go to http://web.nexis.com/sources/. (You can get there in a convoluted way from nexis.com home page by clicking on LexisNexis Risk Solutions (on the left side), then Customer Service Center, then Searchable Directory of Online Services on the right). Now explore the Searchable Directory of Online Sources "Source Locator." This is somewhat like Dialog Dialindex.

• on the left go to Directory help. Read through and follow links.

• go to Source list by topic and explore

• next go to Interactive map view (formerly Hyperbolic tree view). This is something you most likely have not seen before & you will enjoy going up and down with the mouse over the map or tree. Play with it - go down the tree till you get to a source of your choice. Double click to get the equivalent of a Bluesheet.

• briefly describe the process of source selection and hand in (no print outs). Probably, you will find it confusing at first, but (somewhat) logical later. Remember that you also had to go through a complex process to select files in Dialog.

Part 2.

While online in http://www.nexis.com (home page)

• click on Market Indicators (under Market Information on the right)

  • in search enter IBM, click Submit query. Instead of IBM you can enter the name or symbol for your favorite company.

• print the result to hand in.

• go further: enter again IBM and then under drop down menu next to company you entered choose Stock Charts. Click Submit Query.

• then point your mouse arrow at some point on the graph. Click. See what you get. Click on another point. Nothing to hand in on this one. Neat, isn't it?

Next:

• click Home to get back to the first page.

• in Quick Search enter Halloween ; in dropdown menus select default All these sources and Previous 6o days

• explore what do you get from various sources. Pick up your favorite list. Print one result and hand in.

• note the type of items and their sources you get. Click on some URLs and some documents to go further.

• on the top under Focus Search Within Results: enter accidents. Click search.

• note what you get. Explore some items. Nothing to hand in.

• click Home

• click tab Power Search

• under Sources to Search on the first drop down menu select select News Group File, Most Recent 60 Days. [They removed Education Menu LexisNexis, as I had it originally].These are sources that are given to you by default, but these are NOT all sources available in Nexis. (For selection of additional sources see the next exercise).

• Search for Halloween w/7 costumes

• tag the first item (or any one item of your choice) that came up. Click KWIC. See what you get. Hand in.

Next in Power Search play with source selection to get additional sources:

• under Sources again select News Group File... and then

• click Find more sources: then People Business and Asset Locators: then Person Locator, then Directories then on Gale Biographies click add. Click Done on the right. You have selected now one source, you can add to your list of sources as many as you want, and they will be there permanently for you. This is like begin in Dialog.

• Under Enter terms type Bill Gates (or any other person you are interested in). Do both: sort by date and sort by relevance

• Look at some entries. Hand one in.

• on your own select a source that interests you, and do a search of your choosing in it. You will find that source selection is not that straight forward, So look up instructions. Nothing to hand in.

• But, if you cannot get through the Power Search, give up and say where you got stuck. Hand in that in instead of result pages.