USING ELECTRONIC DATABASES


INFOTRAC
A. Overview
B. Accessing InfoTrac
C. Using InfoTrac
D. Disconnecting from InfoTrac            

What is InfoTrac?

With Internet searching becoming so popular, many companies now offer online databases of articles.  These databases are collections of articles that were published in magazines, journals and newspapers.  These databases act as indexes that list the articles that were published and allow users to read many--though not all--of the articles listed.  Because these databases are accessed through the Internet, they are available 24/7.  In order for the databases to be profitable, they are sold on subscription and available only to subscribers; as students you are considered to be subscribers .  So, to access these databases from off-campus locations, you will need passwords.  

InfoTrac is actually the name used to describe a database service that offers three different databases.  The company that runs this service is the Thomson Gale Company, and the three databases of articles are:

Health Reference Center Academic--indexes articles from medical and health related periodicals about health issues.  Articles date back to 1980.

Expanded Academic ASAP--indexes articles from over 1,500 national periodicals with about 500 available in full-text.  Articles consist of basic topics and date back to 1980.

Health and Wellness Resource Center--indexes articles from over 150 health related journals, magazines and newspapers.  Also offers full-text medical encyclopedia, medical dictionary, and prescription drug information.  Articles date back to 1980.

Accessing InfoTrac

Each of these databases is available through any computer that has a Henderson Community College IP address.

• In addition to the links provided above, you may gain access through the “Library  Services” web page.  On this page, move the cursor to the “InfoTrac” button.  Click the left button on the mouse.
  
  

• The next screen is an InfoTrac gateway to the three databases.  Click the "Proceed" button located near the bottom of the screen.  (A picture of this gateway has been provided below.)

• Select a database by moving the cursor to the name of the database and click the mouse.

Note:  InfoTrac products are also available off-campus.  To access InfoTrac you need an authorization number and password.  Ask at the Reference desk for these numbers.  Please note that for security reasons, the Gale Company periodically changes these authorization number/password combinations.

Using InfoTrac 

InfoTrac uses standard Windows tools.  If you are unfamiliar with these, please ask the library staff for assistance.  To navigate, move your cursor (or arrow) with the mouse so that it points to a highlighted name of a database.  Whenever the "arrow" turns into a hand, click the left button of the mouse to enter the database.  It may take some time for this step to complete - depending on the capabilities of your computer.  The progress of the download will be monitored at the bottom of your computer screen.  Use the icons on the top of your screen to perform such function as printing the article(s), returning "BACK" to a previous page, or moving "FORWARD" to another web page.  These buttons are all activated by pointing and clicking the mouse.  More specific steps needed to use InfoTrac are as follows: 

1. InfoTrac commands work in all of its databases.
   
   

2. At the search menu type in the term you want to search for. An example is as follows:
   
   
   
   

3. When a list of articles is displayed, scroll through them by moving the cursor to the arrow key on the lower right corner of the screen.  If there are more than twenty articles, InfoTrac displays them on subsequent screens.  Use the “Next” or “Previous” commands to move between pages.
   
   

4. Each article is listed as a citation.  The number in parenthesis at the end of the citation tells you the length of the article.  Underneath each article is a list of words in blue. These words tell you how much of the article is available for you to read. If "Full-text" or "PDF page(s)" appear, then the full-text of the article can be displayed and read; if the terms "Abstract" or "Citation" are listed, then only that much information about that article is available on this database. (If an article is not available in fill-text in the InfoTrac databases, then check EBSCO and/or ProQuest to see if it is available in one of their databases.).
   
   
   

5. If the full text is available, click on "Full-text" or "PDF page(s)" to see it.  You can then print the entire article by clicking on the "Print" icon in the tool bar located at the top of your screen.  To save paper, you should activate the "print" icon located in the center of the page under the Thomson Gale banner.  This option centers the text of the article and permits full page printing.
   
   

6. At the bottom of each article is a list of "Subject terms." These terms are really the subject headings which are used to describe what the article is about.  If you click on any of these subject headings, InfoTrac will do a search and find all other articles in the database which are about the selected subject.
   
   
   

7. Click on the icon “Back” to backtrack one step at a time.  The InfoTrac tool bar allows you to click on the “Basic search ” button when you want to start a new search.

When finished, click on the “Home” icon located at the top of your computer screen to disconnect from InfoTrac.