WilsonWeb™ Tip Sheet

Access || Searching WilsonWeb || Phrase Searching || Truncation and Wildcards
Boolean Operators || Additional Tips

When and why to use WilsonWeb™:

• Any time you're looking for magazine and journal articles on topics covered by the WilsonWeb databases: Art Abstracts (1985- ), Art Index Retrospective (1929-1984), and OmniFile Full Text (1982- ). For descriptions of each database, go to WilsonWeb and click Help then Database Description.
• Coverage is international.
• Articles and citations can be e-mailed anywhere.
• Some full-text articles and article PDFs are available and can be e-mailed anywhere..

1. Start at library home page: http://library.uarts.edu/
2. Select Research Tools and Resources
3. Select Wilson Databases

If you are off-campus, follow the menus above. You will be prompted to enter your name and library barcode number to enter the databases.

Advanced Search mode is the default.

• Allows you to combine terms with the and/or/not Boolean operator drop boxes on the left


• Allows you to limit your search to a particular field: All-SmartSearch, Keyword, Subject, Title, Author, etc. Use the All-SmartSearch for a full-text, relevancy-ranked search.


• Specify a phrase such as "university of the arts" by surrounding it with quotation marks.


• Many options for tailoring your search are available on screen, but you are not required to use them if it's not necessary for your search.

Browse search mode

• If you're looking for articles about a person, search for their name in the Subject field on the right. Type last name, comma, space, first name, e.g.,
  
  pablo, picasso
  
  
• Don't know how to spell the person's name? In browse mode, type as much as you think is correct and specify Subject in the drop box to the right. You'll probably get close enough to see the name. If not please ask a librarian for help.

* used for unlimited truncation, e.g.,

librar* finds library, libraries, librarian, librariography, etc.

photo* finds photo, photos, photography, photographer, photographers, photographic, etc., but also finds photons, photovoltaic, photosensitive, etc. Think about the best place to truncate.


? used for single-character wildcard of one or more characters, e.g., bernst??n allows up to 2 characters - finds bernstin, bernstein, bernstien, bernstoon, bernsteen, etc., but not bernstegen

wom?n allows up to 1 character - finds womn, woman, women, womyn or womon

On the left side of the Advanced Search screen you will see drop boxes containing the Boolean operator options:


and means ALL terms must be SOMEWHERE in each record retrieved. The more you and, the less you retrieve.


or means ANY or either of the terms must be in each record retrieved. The more you or, the more you retrieve.


not ELIMINATES records containing those words

• Not finding what you're looking for in WilsonWeb? Try a different database such as Artbibliographies Modern, ERIC, International Index to the Performing Arts, LexisNexis Academic or whichever one sounds appropriate for your search. Descriptions are on the library Web pages. For a complete list of all electronic research tools see our Research Tools and Resources page, and of course you can always ask a librarian for assistance.


• Start any database search simply with just two or three search terms and see if you need to narrow your results from there.
  Remember, the more terms you AND together or the longer your phrases are, the smaller your results will be.


• Even a two-word phrase can reduce your search results tremendously. If you retrieve too little, change a 3-word phrase to a 2-word phrase, or just AND your words together.


• Don't be shy - ask a librarian or library staff member for assistance. Or even better--read the help in WilsonWeb and get empowered!