Robbins Library Notes

Good afternoon, all! While doing some other research this afternoon, I discovered that access to and the interface of Arts & Humanities Citation Index, which I reviewed in an earlier post, has changed. Some of the features about which I wrote before have changed, and much of what I wrote in my earlier post is now obsolete.

However, this is still the same content, and it remains a great database to use. Among the changes, there are several things to note:

• Access to the database is a bit dodgy at the moment, as the new proxy server IP address from HOLLIS to the database places the user in a doom loop. You will be unable to login, while the server keeps trying to establish a connection over and over again. The way around this is to hit the “stop loading this page” button on your browser until the database quits reloading. Then, click on the link: “If a new session is not started automatically in a few seconds, click to establish a new session” to finish the login process.  Update 2/6/2008: The access issues seem to have been resolved for now.  You should now be able to login into the database via HOLLIS without any trouble.
• The default search screen now defaults you to searching all seven of the ISI databases to which Harvard subscribes. To access only Arts & Humanities Citation Index, click on the “Select a Database” tab, and choose “Web of Science” from the options.
• The old command language searches (e.g., TS=philosophy of mind, AU=Dummett M) have been replaced by drop-down menus. This should eliminate some of the confusion and having to learn the command language. You still have the option of using the command language prefixes in the “Advanced Search” option.
• The types of searches remain the same. In the “Advanced Search” option, you can limit articles by language or document type at the beginning of your search, something that cannot be done in the basic search.
• In the default search option, you still have the option of limiting by year and by database — it is in the bottom portion of the search screen, right below the search boxes. (It’s not obvious if you aren’t looking for these limiters.)
• In the search results screen, you can filter out by document type and subject category, though apparently not both at the same time — i.e., you can filter out by subject category, but not so as to return only articles, e.g., in that subject category.
• You still have the option of combining several search strategies into one larger search, if you so choose.

I’m still taking some time to figuring out the quirks of this new interface, so if I have more information to report, I will do so.