Help for E-Resources/Article Databases

Searching

Word Searching:

A word search finds OED main entries only.

1. Select database from the UW-Madison Libraries Web site.
2. Type a word in the FIND WORD box in upper right.
3. Click on FIND WORD. Linked word(s) will appear in the window below.

Full Text Searching:

A full text search finds any word or phrase anywhere in the OED text.

1. Click on SIMPLE SEARCH in lower left.
2. Type a word or phrase in the SEARCH FOR box.
3. Click on START SEARCH.

Quotation Author Searching:

A quotation author search finds authors who have been quoted in the OED.

1. Click on SIMPLE SEARCH in lower left.
2. Type author's last name in the SEARCH FOR box.
   Example: woolf
   Note: some author names are abbreviated, such as Shaks for Shakespeare. Abbreviations are not consistent.
3. Click on the FULL TEXT line and select QUOTATION AUTHOR.
4. Click on START SEARCH.

Combining Terms

1. Click on ADVANCED SEARCH in lower left.
2. Type a word or phrase in the first search box.
3. Click on the drop down box and select AND to combine separate concepts or OR to combine similar terms.
4. Type a word or phrase in the second search box.
5. Click on START SEARCH.

Truncating Terms

Use * to replace more than one character.

Use ? to replace more than one character.

Proximity Searching

1. Click on SIMPLE SEARCH in lower left.
2. Type the first word you want to find in the SEARCH FOR box.
3. Click on the drop down box and choose search area (full text, definitions, etc).
4. Click on MORE OPTIONS.
5. Select maximum number of words to separate words by.
6. Click on radio button to select proximity option.
7. Type a word or phrase in the second search box.
8. Click on START SEARCH.

Combining Search Sets

Not Available

Displaying Search Results

1. Click on desired match. Use the SCROLL BAR to move through the record.
2. Click on terms in left margin to display next and previous main entries.
3. Click on RESULTS to return to original list.

Selecting Records

Printing Search Results

1. Click on PRINT in the lower right corner. Text will appear in a new window.
2. Click on FILE at the top of the screen and click on PRINT.
3. Click on FILE at the top of the screen and click on CLOSE to return to the original search window.

Saving Search Results

1. Insert a disk into the drive.
2. Click on PRINT in the lower right corner. Text will appear in a new window.
3. Click on FILE at the top of the screen and click on SAVE AS.
4. Type the disk drive letter, filename, and extension in the file name box.
   Example: a:myfile.txt
5. Change SAVE AS TYPE box to TEXT FILE.
6. Click on SAVE.
7. Click on FILE at the top of the screen and click on CLOSE to return to the original search window.

Emailing Search Results

Email results are accessible for 3 days only.

1. Click on MAIL in the lower right corner
2. Type email addresses in both FROM and TO boxes.
3. Click on MAIL at the bottom of the page.
4. Click on FILE at the top of the screen and click on CLOSE to return to the original search window.

Beginning a New Search, Getting Help, and Exiting

Beginning a New Search

1. Type a new search term in the upper right FIND WORD box or click on SIMPLE SEARCH in lower left.

Getting Help

Click on HELP for on-screen help.

For further assistance, consult library staff.

Exiting

1. Click on HOME at the top of the screen to return to the UW-Madison Libraries Web site.

Databases Covered by this Guide

• OED (Oxford English Dictionary) Online