Subject Scope : The Times & The Sunday Times; The Guardian & The Observer

A full-text database covering current affairs reported in the above newspapers (excluding Supplements); graphics included

Years of Coverage : 1990 – present (The Observer from 1994 – present)

Frequency : Updated quarterly

1. Using a networked PC, login under your University of Plymouth username and password.

2. Click on Start button at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.

3. Keeping your finger down on the mouse, move the highlight up to Information Sources. Electronic Sources will appear as another option.

4. Keeping your finger down on the mouse, move the highlight over to Electronic Sources, and lift your finger off the mouse.

5. Click on Electronic newspapers. Scroll down the page to the newspaper you require and click on it.

1. To perform a search, select the criteria you require by entering your search terms in the relevant boxes. Then click on SEARCH at the bottom of the screen.

2. If matching articles are found, a summary of matches will appear on the screen. The articles will appear in chronological order, with the most recent appearing at the top of the list. The number of hits found will be displayed at the top left hand of the screen.

3. Sample Searches:

Search by keyword

To find articles where David Blunkett is mentioned in the text

Enter the search term Blunkett in the Keyword box and click on SEARCH at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, click on the downward facing arrow to the right of the box and enter the search term in the space at the top, to browse through a list of indexed terms. Highlight the term you wish to include and click on OK at the bottom of the screen. If you want to include more than one keyword in your search, highlight another keyword from the list and click on OK. You will then be able to select the Boolean operator you want to use: AND for a narrow search, OR for a broad search and NOT for a narrow search. The CD-ROM automatically defaults to OR but this can be changed by clicking on OR, holding the button down on the mouse and dragging it to one of the other operators.

Search by by-line

To find articles written by Tony Blair

Enter the search term Blair into the By-line box and click on SEARCH.

Search by Section

To find article about the Olympic Games from the Home News and Sport Sections.

Enter the search term Olympic* in the keyword box - this will retrieve all articles about the Olympics or Olympic Games. Click on the Section box to select which sections of the newspaper(s) you want to search, i.e., Home News and Sport. Click on OK and then click on SEARCH at the bottom of the page.

Search by Date

To find articles written between certain dates

Click on All dates to the right of the DATE box. From this box you are able to view the date criteria you can search under, i.e., all dates, articles after a certain date [from], articles before a certain date [to], one particular date [only] and articles between two dates. To perform the above search, click on Between and enter the dates you want to search between. Click on SEARCH at the bottom of the page.

Search Options

To find articles about Diana, Princess of Wales including illustrations

Enter the search term Diana in the keyword box. Click on Search Options and select the option Articles with illustrations. Click on SEARCH at the bottom of the screen.

 

Search different newspapers and dates simultaneously

To find articles about Greenpeace from The Guardian, Observer, The Times and The Sunday Times published in 1998

Click on Cross-search at the top of the search box. Enter the search term Greenpeace in the keyword box. Click on Select discs. Click on the relevant discs you want to search (or alternatively select all discs by clicking on All available discs). Click on SEARCH at the bottom of the box.

TO DISPLAY TEXT

1. Once the search has been performed, the screen will show a summary of matches.

2. To scroll up and down the current display, click on the scrolling bar to the right of the display screen.

3. To view an article, move the highlight to the required article and double click on it, or click on the box at the bottom of the screen marked View Article.

TO PRINT/DOWNLOAD RESULTS

Printing & downloading

1. To print from the newspapers, you will need to save the articles you require and move to a PC with a printer attached.

2. When you have found an item(s) you would like to save/print, mark it by clicking on the Bookmark icon at the top of the screen (eighth box from the left on the menu bar illustrating index cards). To retrieve marked articles at any point, click on the fourth icon from the left on the menu bar (Bookmarked articles).

3. To download, click on the floppy disk icon on the menu bar. Select current item or all (bookmarked) items. Select Summary of matches or Full article. Enter a file name (remember to add .txt for a text file or .doc for a Word file etc).

4. Select drive (a: for a floppy disk or u: for networked drive).

5. Click on OK.

6. You can now go to a PC with a printer attached, retrieve the file and print what you require.

TO QUIT THE DATABASE

When you have finished your search, click on File at the top of the screen and select Exit. At this stage you can also choose another paper/year to search by clicking on File and then Select disc.