Tag Archives: databases

New Look for LexisNexis Academic

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The LexisNexis Academic research database has a new look for the new year.  LexisNexis is one of our best databases for finding current news from a variety of sources, information about legal cases and decisions, and basic business directory information.  They’ve simplified their interface with a single search box to search all of their content.  Use the ‘Search by Content Type’ to search in the major areas (News, Legal, Companies) and use the ‘Advanced Options’ below the search box to see further refinements based on the section that you are searching in.  Additional help is available from the pop-out menu on the left side of the screen.

LexisNexis Home ScreenAs always, results in LexisNexis Academic are full text of articles or transcripts, and can be exported to your e-mail.  For additional assistance in searching LexisNexis Academic or any of our research databases, contact our reference librarians.

Updated Find It! Button Connects You to Full Text Faster

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We’ve been making some changes behind the scenes to our Find It button, which you may have seen in many of our article databases.  If you see new Find It at UT button in your search results, you can click on it to see if we have full text access to articles or to link to our library catalog and interlibrary loan request forms.

Some of the improvements we’ve made are:

  • The Find It! button will take you directly to our ‘best bet’ for full text from any of our resources.  (see Figure 1)
  • If for some reason our ‘best bet’ doesn’t bring up full text (or if you’re asked to pay), just click on the link in the upper right to go to a full list of all possible sources for full text. (see Figures 1 & 2)
  • Additional options from the full list include searching for the title in our library catalog, submitting an ILLiad interlibrary loan request, exporting the citation to EndNote, or searching for the title words in Google Scholar.  (See Figure 2)

We plan to include the updated Find It! button in all of our databases before the Fall semester begins, but you may see some of the old style links in some databases until we work with each database vendor to make the change.

Screenshot of Full Text Found

Figure 1: Best Bet for Full Text found

Screenshot of Full Listing of Options

Figure 2: Full Listing of Options

 

Catalog & Database Lists Improved!

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We’re rolling out improvements to the look and functionality of two important library resources today!

Click to see a larger screenshot with explanations.

The library catalog will get a new look… now your search will bring up the most relevant materials to the top of your search, and you’ll be able to further refine your search by location, format, date, etc. using the menus at the left.  Also new is one step searching for articles, right from the catalog search results.  This brings almost all of our materials– books, articles, DVDs, and much more–into a single easy search.  Check it out today!  The old version of the library catalog is still available for searching, too.

The other major improvement is to our list of research databases and other electronic resources.  Our new page features an alphabetical menu across the top and an expanded menu of subject categories.  All databases are listed, including those that we get through OhioLINK and those that we purchase just for University of Toledo users.  Signing in from off campus is easy–just use your name and Rocket ID number, including the ‘R’ at the beginning.

If you have any comments on these changes, please let us know either here in the blog or at AskIt@utnet.utoledo.edu.

In Focus: SPIE Digital Library

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Go to SPIE Digital LibraryThe University of Toledo has access to the SPIE Digital Library, an interdisciplinary science database useful to many fields at UT that deal with light or optics in any configuration.  At this time, access is available for on-campus use only.  Update 3/28/2011: Off-campus access now available.

The Digital Library includes:

  • Over 275,000 articles from 1990 to the present
  • 6,000 volumes of SPIE Proceedings
  • The following SPIE Journals:
  • Journal of Applied Remote Sensing
  • Journal of Biomedical Optics
  • Journal of Electronic Imaging
  • Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS (JM3)
  • Journal of Nanophotonics
  • Optical Engineering
  • SPIE Reviews (open access)
  • SPIE Letters Virtual Journal (open access)
  • Journal of Photonics for Energy (open access) 

For more information about the SPIE Digital Library, see this Quick Start Guide.

About SPIE

SPIE is a not-for-profit international optics and photonics scholarly society advancing light-based research.  SPIE acts as a catalyst for collaboration among technical disciplines for information exchange, continuing education, publishing opportunities, patent precedent, and career and professional growth.  SPIE focuses on:

  • Astronomy
  • Biomedical Optics
  • Communications
  • Defense and Security
  • Imaging
  • Lighting and Energy
  • Micro/Nanophotonics
  • Sensor Technologies

We intend to feature other electronic resources like this occasionally to alert our students, faculty, and researchers to what is available from your University Libraries.

StatRef! has a new mobile interface

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Get access to major medical titles on the go… StatRef! has introduced a new interface optimized for your mobile device.   StatRef! includes major health titles such as

  • Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)
  • AHFS Drug Information
  • ACP PIER
  • Family Medicine Principles and Practices

Now you can get them on your web enabled device.  Use this web address while you’re on the UT wireless network:

http://online.statref.com/mobile/?grpalias=MCofO

(iPhone users: http://online.statref.com/mobile/)

Once you connect, you’ll be directed to the StatRef! site based on what capabilities your device supports.  For more information, see this FAQ.

Make your research skills pay: QuizWhiz from LexisNexis

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If you can answer the questions in this online quiz, you can earn points that can be redeemed for gift certificates to Starbucks, Papa John’s, Target, or Amazon.   New questions come out twice a week, and each multiple choice question has a point value based on difficulty.   This contest is open to students only (sorry faculty & staff!) at institutions like UT that subscribe to Lexis Nexis databases.  See the official rules for details.  Contest runs through November 15th.

The UT Libraries subscribe to:

LexisNexis Academic for information from newspapers, business and legal publication.

LexisNexis Congressional for information on the U.S. Congress activities and legislation.