Help for E-Resources/Article Databases

Ask a Librarian

« Return to List of Quick Guides

Searching

  1. Select MadCat from the UW-Madison Libraries Web site.
    Note: Click on MY MADCAT ACCOUNT for information regarding items checked out to you, renewing materials, pending requests, available items, or viewing fines/fees owed.
  2. Click on GUIDED SEARCH.
  3. Type a word of phrase in the top SEARCH FOR: box.
  4. Click on SEARCH.

Combining Terms

Click on the arrow in the SEARCH FOR: drop-down menus and select ANY OF THESE to connect similar concepts. ANY OF THESE broadens your search.

Example: adolescent teenager

Click on the arrow in the SEARCH FOR: drop-down menus and select ALL OF THESE to connect similar concepts. ALL OF THESE broadens your search.

Example:adolescent nutrition

Combining search sets is not available

Truncating Terms

Use ? to replace one character within a search term

Example: nutri? (retrieves nutrition, nutritional, nutrient)

Proximity Searching

Click on the arrow in the SEARCH FOR: drop-down menus and select AS A PHRASE to find words next to each other in that order.

Title Searching

  1. Click on BASIC SEARCH.
  2. Type a word or phrase in the SEARCH FOR: box. Type the first few words as they appear in the title. Omit initial articles a, an, the, la, etc.

    3. Example: taming of the shrew

  3. Click on TITLE in the SEARCH BY: box.
  4. Click on SEARCH.

Journal Searching

  1. Click on BASIC SEARCH.
  2. Type journal title (not the article title) in the SEARCH FOR: box. Type the first few words as they appear in the title. Omit initial articles a, an, the, la, etc.

    3. Example: chronicle of higher education

  3. Click on JOURNAL TITLE in the SEARCH BY: box.
  4. Click on SEARCH.

Author Searching

  1. Click on BASIC SEARCH.
  2. Type author's lastname firstname in the SEARCH FOR: box.

    3. Example: shakespeare william

  3. Click on AUTHOR BROWSE in the SEARCH BY: box.
  4. Click on SEARCH.

Displaying Search Results

Records are automatically displayed.

  1. Use the SCROLL BAR to move through the records.
  2. Click on NEXT to display the next group of 25 records. Click on PREVIOUS to display the previous group of 25 records.
  3. Click on underlined text for a full display. You may then click on BRIEF for a brief display.
    Click on PLACE REQUESTS to recall a checked-out title, have a title delivered to another library for you to pick up, and more.
  4. Click on RETURN TO TITLES to return to the titles list, or click on RETURN TO HEADINGS to return to the headings list.

Selecting Records

Records may only be selected from the list display, not brief or full displays.

  1. Click in the boxes to the left of the titles to select records for later printing, downloading, or emailing.
  2. Click on RETAINED SELECTED before displaying a full record or the next set of results.

Downloading Search Results

  1. Insert a formatted disk into a floppy drive.
  2. To download a single record, go to step 3.
    To download selected records, click on SELECTED ON ALL PAGES at the bottom of the screen.
    To download a title list, click on ALL ON PAGE at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Click on PRINT SAVE icons at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Click on FILE. Click on SAVE AS.
  5. Delete the default file name in the FILE NAME box.
  6. Type the disk drive letter, the file name (up to 8 characters), and the extension " .txt" in the FILE NAME box.

    7. Example: a:myfile.txt

  7. Click on SAVE.
  8. Click on BACK to return to previous screen.

Emailing Search Results

  1. To email a single record, go to step 2.
    To email selected records, click on SELECTED ON ALL PAGES at the bottom of the screen.
    To email a title list, click on ALL ON PAGE at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Type complete email address in the email box
  3. Click on EMAIL (FULL FORMAT ONLY).
  4. Delete the default file name in the FILE NAME box.
  5. Click on BACK to return to previous screen.

Beginning a New Search, Exiting, and Getting Help

Beginning a New Search

  1. Click on NEW SEARCH.

Exiting

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

Getting Help

  1. Click on HELP for on-screen help.

For further assistance, consult library staff.

Displaying My MadCat Account

Use this feature for information regarding items checked out to you, renewing materials, pending requests, available items, or viewing fines/fees owed. Contact circulation staff if you have any problems with this feature.

  1. Click on MY MADCAT ACCOUNT.
  2. Type your 11-digit UW-Madison ID number in the ID NUMBER box.
    Note: If you use more than one ID for library transactions, you will need to check each ID number separately.
  3. Type your last name in the LAST NAME box.
  4. Click on LOGIN.
  5. Click on LOGOFF when you are finished viewing your library account, or the privacy of your information could be compromised.

Databases Covered by This Guide

  • MadCat

    ... and other WebVoyage databases