Once you have the WilsonDisc for Windows software installed, you will find it offers many searching options from basic to quite sophisticated.

This tutorial helps new searchers doing basic searches in Search+. Follow these steps, and note the search tips, to get off to a fast start.

Select Database

1. Highlight database name, such as Readers’ Guide FT Mini

2. Click Add

3. Click OK

4. When Database Description screen appears, click OK (or press Enter)

Tip
The next time you search this database, press Enter before the Database Description screen comes up to bypass this screen and get into the database faster.

For Easiest Searching, Try Search+

Click Search+ Button

1. In Keywords box type search terms, such as road rage

2. Click Search+ button at bottom of screen or press Enter

3. Search results appear on screen

Tip
Type terms in one box to retrieve entries where terms appear next to each other (in any order).

Displaying Records

To clear the display of the Search History, so the results take up most of the screen, click the Records Full Screen icon at the bottom right of the screen.

Whenever you want to look at the Search History, you can always click the Split Screen icon.

Fuller Display

To see records displayed in their fullest format, click on the Show Full Display button at the bottom of the screen.

You can toggle back and forth between Brief Display and Full Display of records by clicking the Show Brief Display / Show Full Display button.

Full Text Only Button

If you are in a database which provides full text, such as General Science Abstracts FT, and you want to restrict search results to only those records with full text, click the Full Text Only button.

Your search set is automatically restricted to full-text records and the display changes from brief to a full record.

Change Your Search / or Start a New Search

1. Click the Search+ button at the top of the screen

2. Your previous search is displayed

3. To clear the Search+ screen, click Reset

Biography Search+

If you subscribe to a biography database from Wilson, such as Wilson Biographies, you see a special Search+ screen with search features designed to take advantage of Wilson’s biographical data.

Search for a Name

1. To search for a profile of a person, press Tab to go the Name box

2. Type person’s name, such as rachel carson

3. Click Search+ or press Enter

Search by Characteristics

To search for people who share certain characteristics, such as women mathematicians or black poets, follow these steps:

1. Press Tab to go the box you want, such as Profession/Genre

2. Type or scroll to MATHEMATICIANS

3. Go to Gender; click Female

4. Click Search+ or press Enter

TIP
The order of the words in the Name box does not matter, either rachel carson or carson rachel; but do not type a comma.

If you only know one word of a person’s name, such as carson, that’s ok, you'll just have more records to look through.

Database Descriptions:

WilsonWeb

WilsonDisc for Windows