ProQuest
The Proquest Databases allow you to create specific searches using their Advanced Command Line Search.
The Command Line Search has an interface that allows you to build up a search using field codes and combine them with the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT, proximity operators or numerical operators.
From the Advanced Search page, click on "Command Line"
To add items to your search:
- Click the select field drop down and select the field code you want.
- Enter your search terms inside the brackets next to the field code and select the operator you want to connect that term to the next.
- Continue adding until you have completed the search you want to carry out, for example AU(Smith) OR AU(Jones).
- Click "Search"
TIPS
You can combine multiple field codes with a comma, e.g. TI, REF to search in the title and references field.
ProQuest offers the following search tools:
The thesaurus can help you find other search terms.
Look up terms allows to you find specific authors, publications, or subjects and add them to your search.
Field codes gives you the complete list of fields used by ProQuest to index their documents and their corresponding search code.
Command line help will walk you through the various parts of the command line search process.
Tips reviews search tools including operators and wildcards.
Multiple Searches
Running multiple searches at once
Command Line Search supports the concept of iterative searching. Iterative searching is simply the concept of running a search, refining that search, running a second search, and so on—possibly combining searches as you go. The goal is to narrow, or broaden your initial search to get the results you want.
To run multiple searches at once:
- Enter a search in the box. If you’re entering a very long search, just keep typing; the search will wrap to a new line as necessary.
- Press Enter or Shift+Enter to start a new line.
- Enter a second search.
- Repeat steps 1–3 until all of your searches are listed.
- Click Search.
All of your searches will run, and:
- A results list for the last search you entered will display.
- A new list item corresponding to each of your searches is added sequentially to the Recent Searches page.