Using the CSA databases for current awareness
Nancy K. Herther, University Libraries, http://www.lib.umn.edu
A recently declassified report from the CIA, written by a researcher from the Hoover Institution, found an appalling lack of sophistication and low-level use of informa-tion technologies by the CIA's Directorate of Intelligence. The report found that our country's major "spy" organization's operatives typically worked at desks with two telephones and two computers. One machine for classified systems and the other for unclassified e-mail and web searching.
Failing to keep upThe author, a former CIA analyst, found the software databases so "primitive" that operatives had better luck calling their co-workers for information than relying on available technology.
The reasons given for this state of affairs were lack of funds, lack of technology savvy, and organizational inertia. The report, titled "Failing to Keep Up with the Information Revolution," was published in the journal Studies in Intelligence and is available on the web at: http://www.cia.gov/csi/studies/vol47no1/article07.html
Don't let this happen to you! Save time. Be more productive and efficient in your work. We can help you achieve this goal.
Literature alerts from CSAIn this issue of the OIT newsletter we continue to look at how alerting services now frequently bundled in the search software from vendors can help you with your ongoing research, saving you time, energy, and effort. Back issues of this newsletter provide guides for searching in the Ovid databases and alerting services from journal vendors.
CSA: Cambridge Scientific AbstractsOne of the Libraries' online database vendors of increasing importance and dominance is Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA). Currently the Libraries contract for 13 databases from this vendor. (For a complete list of current databases see "Databases available through the CSA Interface" in this issue.) Each database allows you to set up profiles or lists of key ideas or of people and run weekly, automatic searches through the database. The results are automatically sent to your e-mail address. In this issue, we'll give you an overview of how to have searches set up, saved and automatically run on a regular basis.
Help
searching the CSA databases
For help in searching the databases using the Cambridge Scientific Abstracts databases, click on the "Help" button for a listing of available help sheets. For more help, check out one of these sources: |
| "Cambridge Scientific Abstracts" is a 4-page PDF file that provides information on searching databases in this system: http://www.library.unisa.edu.au/database/dbguides/CSA-guide.pdf |
"Searching CSA Databases,"
from Queen's University Libraries (Canada) provides good, basic
information on searching in these databases: http://library.queensu.ca/inforef/guides/csa.htm
|
| "How to Search CSA's Sociological
Abstracts," from NC State University provides an excellent
step-by-step guide for searching this particular database (but the
advice and tips relate to all the CSA databases): http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/staff/jmcgeachy/socio/sa_help.htm
|
Getting started
If you need help developing a good search strategy in the CSA databases, check out the list of guides in Figure 1. Feel free to try different search strategies. If you have multiple research interests, you may want to set up different strategies and alerts for each topic.
To save a search click the Search History/Alerts button on the left-side navigation column. (To see the button you may have to scroll down the page.) Any searches you have performed during this session are displayed under the heading of Current Searches.
Mark the strategy(ies) you wish to save (CSA Figure 1) and click the Save Marked Searches button. Enter your e-mail address and a password of your choice and click Continue. Your password must be between 4 and 8 characters long and can include letters or numbers.
CSA Figure 1: Saved searches screen
You will see that there are two options for saving the search.
For saving the search which will save the search in the system but will not run them automatically use this radio button; you will be asked for your e-mail address and to assign a personal password.
To save the search as an automatically run alert, click on the Save as Alert hyperlink. You then will be asked to enter your e-mail address and assign a personal password at the next screen. It is wise to record this (print the screen) to keep in case of system failure or problems in the future.
Then, press the Continue button. The next screen confirms your search and your e-mail address. You may add a name for your search alert, a wise choice if you intend to run multiple searches. When you are finished, press the Save alert radio button. At the next screen you are able to modify, renew, or delete any searches you have already saved as alerts. (CSA Figure 2)
CSA Figure 2: "Save as Alert"
screen in CSA
(note options to modify, renew or delete)
List saved searched
To view previously saved searches:
- click the Search History/Alerts button
- then click List Saved Searches
- then click Continue
Your search strategies will be numbered and displayed in reverse chronological order. The expiration date of the search and the actual search strategy will be shown.
Your searches may be resaved, deleted, or you may run the search strategy in the databases you are currently searching. If you chose to run the search, the search will not be performed in the original database used when you saved the search. It will only check for citations added since you last ran the search.
List saved alertsTo view previously saved alerts:
- click the Search History/Alerts button
- then click List Saved Alerts
- if prompted enter your e-mail address and the personal password you used to save your alerts
- then click Continue
Your alerts will be listed in reverse chronological order. Here you can choose to modify the strategy or your comments, or delete the alert.
Switching databasesThe Saved Searches feature does not save your search results, only the search strategy. For instructions on saving search results, see the Save, Print, & Email help page. It is also important to remember that the databases do not all have the same field codes.
Since the terminology may differ between disciplines, you are wise to refine the search for each database you need to search. In fact, if you are searching a database other than the one the search was originally performed in, you may not get any results if your search strategy used field codes that are specific to your original database.
Making changesIn the future, to change your search strategies or end the service, simply select the Search history/Alerts button from the main search screen.
- Select the appropriate button from these choices: List current searches, List saved searches, List saved alerts.
- At the next screen, type in your e-mail address and personal password and press Continue.
Your list will appear, and you will be given options for resaving, deleting, or running your search.
Expiration date and limitsSearches are saved for only six months, but you will be alerted by the system when the expiration date is nearing, so that you can go back into the system to resave it as desired. Each user may save up to twenty search strategies for a period of six months.
HelpIf you need help with these or any library database, feel free to contact the information experts in the Libraries anytime!
Communications about this column should be addressed to: Nancy K. Herther, Social Sciences Librarian & Bibliographer, 170b Wilson Library, West Bank; 612-624-2020; n-hert@umn.edu
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