NHS ProQuest: Training Sessions Descriptions

Intended Audience:

o   Non-Expert users
o   for simple searches only
o   Preliminary for anyone new to ProQuest

Duration: 60 minutes (45 mins presentation/demo; 15 mins Q&As)

Assumed previous experience:

o   No previous knowledge of ProQuest
o   Assumed knowledge of the basics of online searching (boolean operators)
o   If any basic information is needed on the online searching, simple self-pacing modules can be found on the ProQuest platform libguide: https://proquest.libguides.com/proquestplatform

Learning Objectives:

participants will learn how to
o   access the databases and navigate the platform
o   carry out a simple search,
o   find the full text of an article
o   save or email a set of results.

Detailed Agenda:

o   General navigation of the ProQuest platform
        §  The 3 search levels (Basic, Advanced, Command Line)
        §  the Publications catalog and the Browsing option
        §  How to change the database
o   Basic search features:
        §  The system defaults / phrase searching
        §  Boolean operators, Nesting
        §  Setting precedence with parentheses
        §  Truncation, proximity operators
o   The results page features / access to full text
o   Use the narrow filters to refine the search
o   Display the results online, email or save selected results in various formats
o   Where to find additional support resources

Intended Audience:

o   Expert Searchers
o   for more complex searches (how to run a PICO-like search sample on ProQuest)

Duration: 90 minutes (75 mins presentation/demo; 15 mins Q&As)

Assumed previous experience:

o   For anyone who has acquired some familiarity with the ProQuest platform
o   anyone who has attended the 1st session.
o   anyone needing to run complex searches

Learning Objectives:

participants will learn how to
o   carry out an advanced search,
o   use thesaurus terms, combine searches, apply limits,
o   save searches, save results in a variety of different formats,
o   export results to reference management software

Detailed Agenda:

o   Brief recap of search basics (defaults, variants, truncation, operators)
o   Fields searching
       §  The Advanced search drop-down menu
       §  Command line
       §  Special field combination labels (TIAB etc)
       §  Look up Lists for specific fields
o   Using the thesaurus
       §  the visual thesaurus features
       §  Explosion, Major, Subheadings
       §  the command line versions
o   Set searching (Command Line and Recent searches)
o   Multifile search and Deduplication
o   Export results in bulk, export to Reference Managers
o   My Research - Customization options: preferences
o   My Research - Organizing your data: saving documents or searches, creating alerts or RSS Feeds

Intended Audience:

o   Expert Searchers
o   for more complex searches (some search samples will be discussed)

Duration: ~75 minutes (60 mins presentation/demo; 15 mins Q&As)

Assumed previous experience:

o   For anyone who has acquired some familiarity with the ProQuest platform
o   anyone who has attended the Introductory session, and possibly the Advanced session
o   anyone needing to run complex searches

Learning Objectives:

participants will learn how to

o   Use APA PsycInfo and other Psychology sources for their searches,
o   Use Basic and Advanced functionalities to create a comprehensive search strategy
o   Search using the Thesaurus
o   Build a multifile search including different thesauri
 

Detailed Agenda:

o   Brief introduction on the content of PsycInfo and other psychology sources available to NHS in ProQuest

o   Searches samples summarizing the basic search syntax on PsycInfo
o   PsycInfo indexing:

• Fields searching
• Special limiters in Advanced search

o   Using the thesaurus

• the visual thesaurus features
• the command line versions

o   Set searching - a PICO search strategy - planning and execution
o   Multifile search - using more than one Thesaurus
o   Results display and post-processing