Name: ______________________________________________
Research topic: _______________________________________
Objective: To be aquainted with different features of EBSCO Host Databases.
This exercise is not interactive, you need to print this page out and get on the databases either from your home or in the libraries.
A. Accessing EBSCO Host Databases at OSU
1. Go to library home page
+ http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/index2.html
2. On the homepage, choose Database.
3. You will see this search box. Choose “A.” You will see Academic Search Premier.
Click Academic Search Premier
You will see a list of databases; choose Academic Search Premier, AGRICOLA and ERIC by checking the small boxes on the left, then hit continue.
Note: You are searching three databases together.
B. Use Simple Search
If you are not OSU Student/faculty/staff, go to your public libraries. They will let you know if you have access to EBSCO Host database or not.
Exercise: Practice Simple Search
Compare information retrieval for your research topic in regards to using various search fields.
You will see a menu with a list of search fields by clicking the downward arrow next to the “Default Fields”.
1. Search by Default Fields. How many records are shown? ______________
2. Search by Identifier. How many records are shown? _______________
Which search gives you the most hit? ________________________
Which search gives you the most relevant information? _____________
C. Application of basic limiting features
Each Database has its own limiter. Academic Search Premier has its own, AGRICOLA has it own, so does ERIC.
These limiters vary with different databases. Some are more comprehensive, some are simpler. However, they all have the basic limiting feature.
Basic limiter options
Exercise
1. Type in a keyword in the search box, then scroll down to the special limiters area.
(note: you need to use three special limiters if you are searching three databases.)
Set limits to get more relevant results.
2. Compare the results with those you had before you set the limiter.
On top of the result page, you will see the display 1 to 20 (of 245) . That means you have 245 records retrieved, and each page will show twenty results.
If you do not need all 245 records,
you can mark those that are relevant to your search by clicking on the icon
.
After you finish marking, go to the
top of the page. You can see the display of the marked record by clicking on
the icon 
.
End of assignment