1. The Infotrac Expanded Academic ASAP is a large general periodical database that includes magazines and journals covering all subject areas. To access the InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database, click here (a new window will open, but this page will still be accessible by clicking on the tab for this page at the bottom of your screen).
After using the general Infotrac Expanded Academic ASAP database for searching all subject areas, other databases may be used for more subject-specific searches:

- For a historical topic, try the History Resource Center database.
- For a health-related topic, try the Health & Wellness Resource Center database.
- For a business-related topic, try the Business and Company Resource Center database.
- For a literature-related topic topic, try the Literature Resource Center database.
- For a news- or current issue-related topic, try the InfoTrac Newspapers database.
- For a psychology or social science topic, try the Proquest Psychology Journals database.
- For a biology or life science topic, try the Proquest Biology Journals database.

1a. If you are accessing one of the above databases from off campus, enter your Library Card Number from your PLAN library card (Peninsula Library System) in the entry box.

2. Once you're connected, you will be at the starting point for doing a basic "Keyword" search.
From this initial search page, click on "Advanced Search"
(The "Advanced Search" link on InfoTrac is on the blue bar at the left; on History Resource Center, Business & Company Resource Center or Literature Resource Center, it's in the center under "Other Searches"; on Health & Wellness Resource Center, it's to the right of the keyword search box; on the Proquest databases, it's a tab at the top of the page.)

3. On the "Advanced Search" page, click in the first search box and type the search word(s) for the first concept related to your topic. Type an OR between synonymous or related words for the same concept. Use an * (truncation symbol) to search for multiple words with the same root.

Example: illegal immigration OR illegal aliens OR undocumented workers

Notice that the Boolean logical operators at the end of the first and second lines are preset to "AND". Leave these on AND.

- Click in the second search box and type the search word(s) for the second concept related to your topic. Type an OR between synonymous words for the same concept. Use an * (truncation symbol) to search for multiple words with the same root.

Example: econom*

- If you have a third concept, click in the third search box, and type the search word(s) for the third concept related to your topic. Type an OR between synonymous words for the same concept. Use an * (truncation symbol) to search for multiple words with the same root.

Example: United States OR U.S. OR America*

Click here to see an example of an advanced search in the InfoTrac OneFile Database.

4. Notice the Field selection box next to each search entry box. The field selection controls which part of each record will be searched. Each database preselects different fields.

You may want to leave the field as preselected for each line, or you may want to change the fields, based on the following explanation:

The most precise (and limited) field is usually the "subject" field which just searches for your search words in the subject headings. The least precise (most unlimited) field is the "full-text" or "text word" field, which searches for your search words in the complete full-text of every article (but excludes articles that do not include full text on the database.) The "keyword" field is less precise than the "subject field" and more precise than the "full-text" field because it searches a combination of the subject heading, the abstract and the citation of every record.

5. If you want to limit your search to only those articles that include the full article text in the database, click the "articles with text " check box or "Full text articles only" in the lower portion of the Search screen before clicking the Search button

6. Click the Search button to start your search.

7. Important note if you are using one of the Gale Resource Center databases:
When search results are displayed, articles are divided by different categories indicated by tabs at the top of the results list.
To find periodical articles, select the tab for either: "Magazines & Journals" (in Health & Wellness Resource Center), "Periodicals" (in History Resource Center), "News/Magazines" (in Business Resource Center) or "Literary Criticism, Articles & Work Overviews" (in Literature Resource Center).

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These materials may be used for educational purposes if you inform and credit the author and cite the source as: LSCI 106 Online Research. All commercial rights are reserved. To contact the author, send comments or suggestions to: Eric Brenner at brenner@smccd.net