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How Do I Find (...) ?: OneSearch: Search across Databases

Brief tutorials for common assignments that require library research.

What is included in the 'OneSearch' Option?

  • The 'OneSearch' box is the first option under 'Search Library Resources,' on the Mildred F. Sawyer Library home page. 
  • The 'OneSearch' feature, also called the 'Discovery Service,' searches across multiple article databases and the Library Catalog simultaneously. 
  • The results intermingle all varieties of content, regardless of the format: print books, e-books, articles (online), and streaming videos. 
  • This enables users to cast a very wide net to identify articles, books, e-books, and streaming videos in a single search. 

OneSearch's Advantages

  • Nearly every imaginable search will generate results.
  • Since multiple disciplines are represented by the underlying databases, users may find articles from sources that might not have been encountered otherwise.  

Limit and Sort Results

Search results can list hundreds of thousands of articles and books. 

  • Users should use the limit options as a means of exploring the content, rather than exclusively relying on the relevancy algorithm's selection of the top 20 results.

OneSearch's Caveats

The OneSearch service does not cover the many specialized databases which contain:

  • company and industry profiles 
  • marketing information
  • country profiles.

The OneSearch Option as Short Cut

Users who are trying to locate a particular article or book may find that the OneSearch option provides a successful short cut.

However, due to the multiple formats and the range of underlying databases, users may not readily find the desired item. In those instances, it is important to be able to interpret the information that is conveyed in a citation, in order to determine the best alternative as to where to search for the item.

For example, is the desired item an article, or a chapter from a book with an editor and multiple contributors? In the case of an article, use the e-Journal search box to determine if there is access to the journal. In the case of a book, try searching for it in the Library Catalog.

OneSearch: Search for a Topic

 

Screen shot: Library home page and OneSearch Box: search for health disparities and policy

"OneSearch" Finds Both Journal Articles and Books

  • Most searches in the OneSearch box result in many thousands of items, such as journal articles, books, or videos. 
  • Your search terms will be highlighted in the results list. 
  • Use the filters to narrow down your results. Many classes require the use of peer reviewed journal articles.

OneSearch results for health disparities and government policy