Dialog indexing

Module 1
Database: collection of machine-readable information accessible through a computer aka a file.

Record: discrete information unit

Field: distinct information part

Information producer/provider company compiling database records, responsible for content

Professional online service search system providing multiple database access

Database types

Full text	Complete text of document
Directory	Factual information about organization, companies, people, products, materials
Numeric	Data in tabular/statistically manipulated form, with added text
Hybrid	Mix of full text, citation and abstract records

Constructing a database
1. Create a linear file of records received. Assign sequential accession numbers, uniquely.
2. Label record files – au (author), ti (title). If field is word-indexed, label words within field. Exclude stop words.
3. Create the base index – all words and phrases from fields containing subject-related terms.
4. Create the additional index – all terms from remaining fields.

Basic index field = suffixed fields
SELECT commands search the Basic index unless term is qualified by suffix. To qualify a term to a given field, enter a forward slash followed by a two-letter suffix

Suffix/Code	Field Name	Indexing
None	All basic index fields	Word
/AB	Abstract	Word
/DE (/DF)	Descriptor	Word/Phrase
/ID (IF)	Identifier	Word/Phrase
/NT	Note	Word
/TI	Title	Word

Suffix	Example
None	S Inner(W)City(W)Neighbourhood?
/AB	S Neighbourhood(W)Affiliation?/AB
/DE	S Manipulative(w)materials/DE S Mathematics activities/DE
/ID	S Affiliate(W)behavior/ID
/NT	S Child(W)Development/NT
/TI	S Geometric(W)thinking/TI

Controlled vocabulary
Descriptors subject-related terms taken from a thesaurus/controlled vocabulary list, assigned to records by professional indexers
Bound descriptors/descriptor phrases multiple-word descriptors, entered into index as each individual word/whole phrase
Identifiers terms assigned to record by indexer generally not from controlled vocabulary. Typically proper nouns, geographic locations, or words not yet in thesauri

Proximity operators

Operator	Function	Examples	Terms retrieved
(w) ()	Words adjacent/in order specific	Library(w)science? Library ( )science?	Library science Library sciences
(nW)	Up to n intervening words in specified order	Library(2w)science?	Library science Library sciences Library with science Library and information science
(N)	Words adjacent and in either order (near operator)	Library(N)science?	Library science Library sciences Science library Sciences library
(nN)	Up to n intervening words, and in either order	Library (1N) science	Library science Sciences library Library with science materials Science related library
(F)	Words in some field, no word order/proximity specified	Socrates(F)oz Socrates(F)oz/ti	Both terms in title/abstract Both terms in the field
(L) database specific	Words in some descriptor unit Used to link subheadings	Zinc(L)toxicity	Zinc as descriptor heading linked to toxicity as subheading
(S) full-text	Words in same subfield or paragraph	Napoleon (S) France	Napoleon and France in same subfield or paragraph

Selecting descriptor terms
If you select a multiple-word phrase, including spaces and punctuation, Dialog retrieves the phrase only if it is an exact descriptor or identifier. e.g. s teaching skills, teaching(w)skills/de, s teaching (w) skills

If you select a single word and restrict with the suffix /DE, Dialog retrieves the word if it appears anywhere in a descriptor term. e.g. s teaching/de

To retrieve a single-word descriptor, but not descriptor phrases containing word, use the suffix /DF, e.g. s teaching/df

Basic index – file 148

Search suffix	Display code	Field name	Select examples
None	None	All basic index fields	S American(W)Bank?
/AB	AB	Abstract	S Citicorp/AB
/CN	CN	Case name	S American(W) Business(W)Service?/CN
/CO	CO	Company name	S Citicorp/CO
/UN	UN	Ultimate company name
/CP	CP	Caption	S Photograph/CP
/DE	DE	Descriptor/concept term	S Europe/DE
/EN	EN	Event name	S Joint(W)Ventures/EN
/GN	GN	Geographic name	S Europe/GN
/IN	IN	Industry name	S Banking/IN
/LP	LP	Lead paragraph	S Chemical(W)Banking/LP
/NM	NM	Named person	S Gates(1N)Phyllis/NM
/PN	PN	Product name	S Banking(W)Institutions/PN
/ST	ST	Statue name	S Glass(W)Steagall(W)Act/ST
/TI	TI	Title	S Europe(2W)Profits/TI
/TN	TN	Brand name	S Maestro/TN
/TX	TX	Text	S European(W)Operator?/TX
/XF	None	All basic index fields except full text	S Foreign(W)Operations/XF

All indexing is word.
Searching a phrase in the Basic Index of File 148 automatically searches the descriptor field since it is the only phrase-indexed field in the Basic Index.
Searching the word-indexed fields in the Basic Index using proximity connectors to indicate how close you want the terms to appear in relation to one another.

Module 2
Basic Index

Search suffix	Field name	Indexing
/AB	Abstract	Word
/DE	Descriptor	Word/Phrase
/ID	Identifier	Word/Phrase
/LP	Lead Paragraph	Word
/TI	Title	Word
/TX	Text	Word

Additional Index (Prefixed fields)

Search suffix	Field name	Indexing
AU=	Author	Phrase
BN=	ISBN	Phrase
CS=	Corporate Source	Word
JN=	Journal Name	Phrase
LA=	Language	Phrase
PD=	Publication Date	Phrase MMDDYYYY
PY=	Publication Year	Phrase YYYY
WD=	Word Count	Numeric
CO=	Corporate Name
DT=	Document Type
PC=	Product Code/Standard Industrial Classification
TS=	Ticker Symbol

Searching the additional indexes
Using a prefix is required when searching the Additional Indexes (S teaching skills and dt=conference?)

To SELECT a group of entries from the same prefixed field, use parentheses (s teaching skills) and dt=(conference paper or journal article)

Use the EXPAND command in phrase-indexed fields (additional indexes) to see how phrases appear in particular field index

Expand command tips
Enter the appropriate prefix for searched index.

Enter only the first part of the name/search term to go to the right index search.

Examine the E numbers list carefully.

Never enter any truncation or proximity operators because Expand is completely literal, character by character.

Selecting the items off the EXPAND list
Select E (or R) numbers off the EXPAND list using either the OR operator or a comma between individual E numbers, or the colon operator to select a range.

Page through up to 50 entries (12 items at a time) on the list by entering P or PAGE. Once you reach 50, must select your E numbers, as you will start a new list of entries.
SELECT all relevant E numbers before entering another EXPAND command. Each new command erases the previous command.

Phrase Indexing versus Word Indexing Tips
Use right hand truncation to pick up multiple endings to a phrase.

Searching general(W)electric in the word-indexed company field (/CO) will retrieve all records where the words occur directly next to one another in that specific order in the /CO field – regardless of any variation in the beginning or end of the company name.

Choosing a database
Have a request.

1. Use the information list. Consider
• Clearly defined subject
• Purpose of search, overview
• Topic perspective - academic, popular
• Information quantity
• Information type - complete article, abstract
• Known sources - authors, journals, papers
2. Determine database(s) to provide best information. Consider

• Content
• Coverage
• Currency
• Cost

Requesting the database description opens another web browser. Dialog is not case sensitive.
Type select [search query]
Click search
Dialog returns a list of databases with topic information and the number of records found. Can reorder results by sorting.
Check databases to search and click “Begin Databases” to run strategy.

Planning a search strategy

1. Select additional search terms
2. Use search word variants, truncation
3. Use proximity connectors to search phrases
4. Search exact record phrase; search phrases containing stop words, punctuation, hyphens, special characters
5. Narrow search for precision

Connector	Description	Example	Retrieves
(N)	Searches adjacent terms in either order	Fiber?(n)optic?	Fiber optics Optics fiber
(W)	Searches adjacent terms in exact order	Flex(w)time	Flex time Flex-time
(#n) or (#w)	Allows additional terms to occur between words	Market(5w)share	Share of the long distance market
(S)	Restricts words to the same paragraph	Telecommunication?(S)sales	Sales in the...

Logical operators

Logical operators	Definition	Example
Or	Use to group synonymous terms when one must be present	Ultraviolet or UV or Ultra (W) violet
AND	Use to connect terms when both/all must be present	Market(SN)share AND tennis(W)equipment

Using Classic Dialog search commands

Command	Example	When to use it
Begin B	Begin 9 B 9 B 9, 16 current B Business news	Use to begin with a file number to specify databases to be searched Use current to restrict a search to the current year plus the previous year specified
Select S	Select telecommut? S telecommut? S merg? or acqui? S s1 and s2	Use select to create a set of records (e.g. s1) that contains the specified terms

Managing search results
The item numbers can indicate a single record, a range or a non-sequential range of records, enter ALL to see all records.

Command	Example	When to use it
TYPE T	Type s1/6/1-3 T s 3/9/1,3 T s 2/6, k 1-5,8	To display search results in specified format
DISPLAY SETS D	Display sets D	Display a set of all sets created since the last BEGIN command

Refining a search
The basic index

Display code/search suffix	Field name	Indexing	Select examples
/SL	Slogan	Word	S(ALL)(W)ABOARD(W)/SL
/SP	Spokesperson	Word	S JAMES(W)EARL/SP

The extract field (/XT) searches both the Abstract and Lead Paragraph fields.

Suffix allows searching only most important information within each record, helping to make more precise search strategies.

Suffixes append to the end of a search word, phrase, or set number. Suffixes can be separated by commas.

Additional indexes
These indexes indicate how to narrow a search further by using information other than the search subject. (Display code omits=) All but WD is phrase indexing; WD is numeric indexing.

Display Code/Search Prefix	Field name	Select examples
AA=	RDS Accession number	S AA=014621
CT=	Concept term	S CT=Market share
GC=	Graphic code	S GC=WOR
MT=	Marketing term	S MT=General research
RT=	Record type	S RT=Full text
SF=	Special feature	S SF=Table
SL=	Slogan	S SL=All Aboard America
None/SO=	Source information
SP=	Spokesperson	SSP=James Earl Jones
UD=(None)	Up to this date	S UD=9999
WD=	Word count	WD>2000

Use truncation at end of a search term expressing a name to retrieve all name variations.
A colon is used to indicate a range of sequential entries to be retrieved.
The format for the Publication Date is usually YYYY, MM, DD (Year, Month, Day)

The Expand command
Use to verify spelling, punctuation, and other variations of the names in the field. Use the E Reference number(s) to SELECT desired entries.

Expand using appropriate prefix and term.

Select the E-numbered lines that contain variations.

Type S2/full/1 to see complete record.

Dialog applications
Dialog can help with a number of tasks:

Monitor competition	Track articles
Plan production introduction	Locate articles
Research industry development	Keep literature updated Check trademark/patent application/registrations with potential product line impact
Develop marketing strategies	Locate market share data and published market research reports, print out
Find merger and acquisition candidates	Screen companies based on financial parameters
Locate elusive company	12 million+ public, private, subsidiary, international company listings

Entering multiple operators

Repeat the same proximity operator to connect a series of search terms

Enter most precise operator first – W, N, L, S, F

Alternatively, use parentheses. Use around terms connected with logical operators so that these will be selected first. Select a set number in proximity to another set or to new search terms.