FirstSearch:  An Online Introduction

Practice Exercises

These practice exercises should help you develop your FirstSearch skills.
You might want to print this page so you can refer to it while you use FirstSearch.

1.  In FirstSearch, choose the WorldCat database.
In the Basic Search screen, search the Subject Index for a subject that interests you.
How many Records did you retrieve?  WorldCat is such a large database you probably will retrieve many records.

• If you need help with a Basic Search, refresh your memory.

2.  From the Brief Records Results Screen, click the "Limit Search" button and limit your search to books in English that are 10 years old or less.
Now how many Records do you have?  It should be a smaller number.

• If you need help with  Limiting a  Search, refresh your memory.

3.  Click on the Full Record of one of the books.
Click on the "Libraries with Item" button.  Do any Virginia libraries have this book?

• If you need help with  Locating an Item, refresh your memory.

4.  Return to the Full Record.
If you have an email account, "E-mail the Record" to yourself.

• If you need help with  Emailing a Record, refresh your memory.

5.  Now use the Database Icon on the Menu Bar to switch to the FactSearch database. 
It is a useful database for finding statistics on many topics.
In the Basic Search screen search "children and safety and automobiles" in the Subject Index.
Look at one of the Full Records.  It should have a brief summary paragraph that contain statistics.
Now return to the Results list of Brief Records.
Tag 3 of the Records.  Now click the "Show" Tagged Records button. 
You should have the 3 Tagged Records on your screen.

• If you need help with  the Menu Bar, refresh your memory.
• If you need help with  Tagging Records, refresh your memory.

6.  Now use the Database Icon to switch to the CINAHL database.
Choose the Advanced Search.
Let's see if anyone with your name has written anything that is in the CINAHL database.
In the Index box, choose "Author (exact phrase)" and click the "Browse Index" button.
Type your last name and a space and your first initial.   (Example:  Doe J)
Does your name appear in the "Author (exact phrase)" Index?
Choose your name or the closest to it, and perform a search for that author.

• If you need help with  Browsing the Index, refresh your memory.
• If you need help with  Exact Phrase Indexes, refresh your memory.

7.  Look at a Full Record from the Author Search.  Choose one that is a journal article.
Does your Library have the journal?  You might have to ask a Librarian to show you how to find out.
Now look at the Major and Minor Subject Headings for that Record.
Choose one and perform a Hyperlink Search.
Now you should have Retrieved other Records with that Subject Heading.

• If you need help with  Hyperlink Searching, refresh your memory.

8.  Choose the Search Icon to perform another CINAHL Advanced search.
Search for "nursing students" in the "Subject Hdgs (keyword)" Index AND "community colleges" in the "Abstract (keyword)" Index.
FirstSearch will perform a Boolean search, retrieving only Records that have both features.
How many did you retrieve?

• If you need help with  Advanced Searching, refresh your memory.
• If you need help with  Boolean Searching, refresh your memory.

9.  From the list of Brief Records for that search, choose the "Related Subject" option.
Select the Subject Headings "Community Colleges" and "Students Nursing Associate" and click "Start Search".
Don't choose to limit it to your current search.
How many Records did your new search retrieve? 
It should be more because "Related Subjects" will find any Records that have either of the 2 Subject Headings you selected.

• If you need help with  Related Subjects, refresh your memory.

10.  Choose the Search Icon to perform another CINAHL Advanced search.
Choose the "History" option.
Now you can see all your recent searches.
Select the 2 of them with the highest number of Results and combine them with the AND connector.
Does that search retrieve any Records? 
If you combined 2 small searches, there might not be any Records that appeared in both searches.

• If you need help with  the History function, refresh your memory.

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