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Alerts Basic Search   Fielded Search - Sorting - Term searching - Author select - Subject select - Limit to - Date searching

Search Tips - General - Case sensitivity - Drop-down menus - Number searching - Wildcard operators - Phrase/adjacent term searching - Boolean Technical Requirements

Search Results - Results - Using the check box - Bibliographic citations - View and download full text - Capture Citations Using Zotero - Download citations using EndNote ECD FAQs Alerts Help Alerts FAQs OSTI FAQs

Alerts

Alerts provide users with e-mail notification of updates to the Energy Citations Database in specific areas of interest.

1. In order to receive Alerts, you must register.
2. For assistance with Alerts, please see the Alerts Help and Alerts FAQ.

Basic Search

Enter your search term (s) in the search box and your search will be conducted on all available indexed fields, including full text.

Fielded Search

Sorting

Your search results will be sorted in ascending or descending order based on your 'Sort By' selection. The default is Relevance descending.

Term Searching

Enter your search criteria into as few or as many fields as desired. Field choices are:

1. All Fields, which searches all the fields in the bibliographic citation plus full-text pages
2. Bibliographic Data, which searches all the fields in the bibliographic citation
3. Full Text, which searches full-text pages
4. Title
5. Creator/Author
6. Subject
7. Identifier numbers, which searches all the number fields, including the identifier, the report number(s), the DOE contract number, and other numbers.
8. Conference information
9. Patent information
10. Research Organization
11. Sponsoring Organization

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Author Select

1. Assists in identifying variation(s) of an author's name
2. Can be used to identify multiple authors
3. Selected author(s) are 'submitted' to Fielded Search

Subject Select

1. Assists in identifying terms for subject searches
2. Controlled vocabulary is in a hierarchical structure
3. Selected term(s) are 'submitted' to Fielded Search

Limit To

1. You may limit your search results by selecting 'Matches with electronic documents', entering Publication and/or System Entry Dates, selecting a pre-defined Type from the Drop-down menu, entering a Type, and/or selecting 'Return exact count of matches with link to bibliographic citations'.
2. More than one Type may be selected and/or entered using Boolean operators.
3. Pre-defined types are: Book, Conference, Miscellaneous, Patent, Patent Application, Software Manual, Technical Report, and Thesis/Dissertation.

Date Searching

1. Enter the beginning date (From) and ending date (To) of your selected date range in the spaces provided.
2. Enter a 4 digit year (YYYY), a 2 digit month(MM), and a 2 digit day (DD).
3. You may enter a year only or a year and month only.

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Search Tips

General

1. Searching for individual terms does not require a special syntax. For example, a search for DOG will return all results that contain the term DOG.
2. Multiple words entered as search terms must all be contained in the field(s) searched in order to be returned in the search results. For example, a search on DOG CAT will find results that contain both DOG and CAT.
3. Special term prefix syntax, used by some search engines such as Alta Vista, is not supported. For example, searching on +DOG -CAT will only return results that contain both +DOG and -CAT. Neither of these terms is likely to occur.
4. Example:  quark

Case Sensitivity

1. Search terms in the Energy Citations Database are case insensitive. A term entered in either upper case, lower case, or mixed case will find/match terms that are in the bibliographic citation and/or the full text in upper case, lower case, and/or mixed case.
2. Example: Searching for Quark, quark, QUARK, or quARK will return the same results.

Drop-down Menus

1. To assist you in formulating search strategies, Drop-down Menus have been created for Sort By, Relevancy, Type, and other items with pre-defined choices.
2. Drop-down menus list standardized values that are valid choices. You can select one or more value from the Drop-Down Menu.
3. To select a standardized value, click on the value(s) you want to include in your strategy.
4. To select multiple values, click again on the same drop-down arrow and make an additional selection. Repeat until all desired values are selected.

Number Searching

1. For bibliographic citation fields, the best search results can be obtained by entering numbers without any punctuation or spaces. Enter only alpha-numeric characters.
2. Example:  Searching for doeeh0601 will return DOE/EH-0601.
3. Numbers are not specifically indexed/available for searches in the full text. Although some numbers may be searchable if they are surrounded by delimiters such as parenthesis, full text searching for numbers is not recommended.

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Wildcard Operators

1. The asterisk (*) is used as a multi-character wildcard for term expansion.
   1. A search for NUCLE* will return results that contain terms such as NUCLEAR, NUCLEUS, NUCLEOPROTEIN. Term expansion using the multi-character wildcard is limited, and will result in a search error if the term is too vague (an expansion error). Vagueness depends on the density of the known portion of the word (NUCLE in this example). If a search results in an expansion error, more characters will be required in order to more uniquely identify the desired terms. For example, a search on N* will likely result in a term expansion error.
   2. An asterisk may be used inside a string of characters. For example, a search for H*GENOUS will return results that contain terms such as HOMOGENOUS and HETEROGENEOUS.
   3. Asterisks may not be used as the beginning of a term. For example, a search for *ETERGENOUS will result in an error.
   4. Example:  Searching for batter* will return matches with the term batter and/or with the term battery and/or with the term batteries.
2. The question mark (?) is used as a single-character wildcard for term expansion.
   1. A search for DO? will return results that contain terms such as DO, DOG, DOT, DOE, DOI.
   2. If a search results in an expansion error, more characters will be required in order to more uniquely identify the desired terms. For example, a search for T? will likely result in a term expansion error because a large number of terms or words start with the letter T.
   3. A question mark may be used inside a string of characters. For example, a search for C?T will return results that contain terms such as CAT, COT, CPT.
   4. More than one single-character wildcard may be used in the same search. However, this may cause a slower return of the results than searching with only one single-character wildcard.
   5. Question marks may not be used as the beginning of a term. For example, a search for ?ETERGENOUS will result in an error.

Phrase/Adjacent Terms

1. Phrases (adjacent terms) can be searched for by using double quotes. For example, a search for "BIG EXPLOSION" will return results that contain the term BIG immediately followed by the term EXPLOSION.
2. When the Boolean operator NEAR is within a phrase search (using double quotes), it will be treated as a search for the term NEAR and will not act as a Boolean operator. For example, a search for "DOG NEAR CAT" will find results that contain the phrase "DOG NEAR CAT".
3. Wildcard operators inside a phrase will operate as wildcards. For example, a search on "CIRCUS TRAIN*" will return results that contain phrases such as "circus train", "circus training", "circus trainers".
4. Phrases can be joined together using Boolean Operators. For example, a search for "DOG HOUSE" OR "DOG RESIDENCE" will return results that contain either the phrase "DOG HOUSE" or the phrase "DOG RESIDENCE".
5. Example:  Searching for "solar energy" will return matches that contain the term solar immediately followed by the term energy.

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Boolean

1. If you receive an error message related to Boolean searching, please check your use of operators, parenthesis and/or quotation marks.
2. Operators (AND, OR, NOT, NEAR)
   1. Searches for DOG AND CAT will return results that contain both DOG and CAT. Searches using the Boolean operator AND must have two conditions on which to operate. Therefore a search for AND CAT will return results that contain only CAT (the word AND is not indexed).
   2. Multiple words entered as search terms without a Boolean Operator must all be contained in the field(s) searched in order to be returned in the search results. In other words, an implicit AND is added between each term. For example, a search on the 'Title' for DOG CAT will return results that contain both DOG and CAT in the title. It is not necessary for the terms to be adjacent.
   3. Searches for DOG OR CAT will return results containing either DOG or CAT. Searches using the Boolean operator OR must have two conditions on which to operate. Therefore a search for OR CAT will return results that contain only CAT (the word OR is not indexed).
   4. Searches for DOG NOT CAT will return results that contain DOG and do not contain CAT. Searches using the Boolean operator NOT must have two conditions on which to operate. Therefore a search for NOT CAT will return results that contain only CAT (the word NOT is not indexed).
   5. Searches for DOG NEAR CAT will return results that contain both DOG and CAT. However, the relevance is increased for results where the two terms are closer together. Searches using the Boolean operator NEAR must have two conditions on which to operate. A search for NEAR CAT will return results that contain only CAT because the word NEAR is a Boolean Operator.
3. Order of Operation
   1. The default order of operations (precedence) for all supported Boolean Operators is NEAR, NOT, AND, OR.
   2. Unless overridden by use of parenthesis, the default order of operations will be used. Expressions are evaluated in order from left to right according to the precedence of their operators (or order of operation). Operators with higher precedence are applied first. Operators of equal precedence, i.e. the same operator used more than once, are applied in order of their appearance in the expression from left to right.
   3. A search for DOG NOT CAT OR MOUSE will return results that either
      1. contain the term DOG and do not contain the term CAT or
      2. that contain the term MOUSE.
      This can be demonstrated by adding parentheses in the example (DOG NOT CAT) OR MOUSE to show the order of precedence. Since NOT has a higher order (precedence), its expression is evaluated first.
   4. A search for DOG NOT (CAT OR MOUSE) will return results that contain DOG and do not contain either CAT nor MOUSE. This is an example of overriding the default order of operations by using parenthesis.
4. Examples:
   
   1. Searching for actinide or actinides returns matches containing either the term actinide or the term actinides.
   2. Searching for actinide and actinides returns matches that MUST contain both actinide and actinides.
   3. Searching for actinide not actinides returns matches that both
      – DO contain actinide and
      – DO NOT contain actinides.

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Search Results

Results

1. The Search Results page provides you with information about your search, including your search strategy, your sort choice, an approximate number of results, and the number of results pages.
2. From your Search Results page you can:
   1. Re-sort the search results
   2. Refine your search
   3. Select a Printer Friendly version of the Search Results page
   4. Navigate from your current Search Results page to other Search Results pages
   5. Select results of interest by checking the box in front of each result and clicking on 'Show only (√) Items' (see Using the Check Box).
3. The default number of results per page is 25.
4. Each title displayed is hyperlinked to the full Bibliographic Citation.
5. Each author is hyperlinked so that, when selected, a search is conducted for the selected author. The author search is the same as if you had conducted a phrased search on Creator/Author from Fielded Search. For example, if you select the 'Smith, John' hyperlink, it will provide you with the same search results as when you conduct a Fielded Search on Creator/Author for "Smith, John".

Using the Check Box

1. Items selected via the selectable check box will be retained during your browser session. These checked items will persist until you choose to clear all previously selected items. This will allow you to perform multiple searches using different criteria and have all selected items retained in a single list.
2. You may choose to clear all previously selected items.
3. You may choose to remove single items from your list by deselecting the Check Box.
4. You may choose to view your list of selected results on the Search Results by clicking on 'Show only (√) Items'.

Bibliographic Citations

1. Bibliographic Citations are available via the 'Title' hyperlink on the Search Results.
2. Accessing individual pages of the full text is available via the Bibliographic Citation.
3. You may search for full text authored by a specific individual by selecting the appropriate Creator/Author hyperlink.

View and Download Documents

1. To view a document, click on the associated icon or 'View Full Text'. After making your selection, you will receive an 'attribution' page. Click on either the document icon or the 'Download or View Document' hyperlink. The document will appear within the browser if an appropriate viewer has been loaded as a plug-in.
2. To download/save the document, click on the icon or 'View Full Text'. After making your selection, you will receive an 'attribution' page. On the attribution page, position the cursor over the icon and right click once with the mouse. Select "Save Link As..." and enter the file name with the proper extension for the file type (for example, .pdf for PDF files). After the file has been download/saved, open it from within the appropriate viewer (i.e., Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word).
3. Documents available in the Energy Citations Database are in a variety of formats. As a result, you may be able to choose from format options when viewing/downloading. Documents may be in PDF, Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, SGML, HTML, XML, TIFF Group 4, or Postscript. Paper documents have been scanned and made available for viewing/downloading in PDF. All documents that are in a non-PDF electronic format are made available for download in the original format and/or in PDF.
4. If the document consists of more than one file, it is compressed (zipped) for downloading. It will need to be uncompressed (unzipped) before it can be viewed. Software to uncompress can be found at http://www.aladdinsys.com/downloads/index.html [exit federal site].
5. Format possibilities for documents are indicated by the icons on the Search Results, with the full Bibliographic Citation, and on the 'attribution' page. Possible formats and their icons are:
   

   PDF   Microsoft Word   WordPerfect

   HTML   Postscript   Zip

   TIFF Group 4   SGML   XML

Capture Citations Using Zotero

1. In order to utilize the Energy Citations Zotero capability, you will need to have already downloaded and installed the Zotero browser plugin (FireFox only).
   
2. To capture citations using Zotero, click the folder icon in your browsers address bar on the Search Results or Bibliographic Citation page for the item(s) of interest. Selecting this folder icon from the Search Results screen will provide you with the option to capture one or more of the results on the page. Simply select the checkbox beside the citations you wish to capture then click “OK”.
   
3. To view your captured citations simply click the “Zotero” icon towards the bottom right hand side of your browser window.
   

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Download Citations Using EndNote

1. In order to utilize the Energy Citations Database EndNote capability, you will need to have already downloaded and installed the EndNote software and have already created a Library. (In EndNote, access the File Menu, select New).
2. To download using EndNote, select the hyperlink 'Download as EndNote' on the Bibliographic Citation page for the item(s) of interest. Selecting this hyperlink will provide you with the option to save as an EndNote file (.enl extension) directly to your own storage space.
3. You may choose to have the EndNote Import File access your EndNote software directly, in which case EndNote will prompt you for your Library file, then a dialog box to select an import format will appear. Select "EndNote Import Format" and select OK. Your selected citation will be previewed and added into your EndNote library.
4. If you choose to save the downloaded citations file (default file name is "citations.enw"), you may open the EndNote software, open your Library, then select the "Import" icon to add the selected citations to your Library.

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Technical Requirements

1. For complete functionality, you must have a recent version of a major Web browser (e.g. FireFox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape) and related software.
2. In order to function correctly on your computer, required browser configurations include:
   1. JavaScript must be enabled
   2. Style sheets must be supported. The application is optimized for W3C's CSS Level 2.
   3. Cookies must be accepted (uses session cookies).
   4. To display a document, a PDF Viewer [exit federal site] and unzip utility (such as WinZip for windows) are suggested. The PDF viewer should be loaded as a plug-in to view individual pages in PDF format.

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