PowerSearch provides a sophisticated, yet simple, solution for managing a wealth of periodical, reference, primary source and multimedia information using a single system.
Here are answers to some common questions to help you get started:
While PowerSearch has the same screen layout and navigational controls you'll find in other Gale collections, PowerSearch extends your search power by giving you a way to search across multiple Gale databases simultaneously. The database from which each document was found will appear as part of your search results. Refer to Selecting Multiple Databases to Search for more information. And with One Search, you can get search results from Gale and non-Gale sources clustered into visual categories that you can "zoom" in and out of.
Use the banner bars at the top of the page. Any search page can be quickly accessed using the links found on the search path bar. Helpful toolbar buttons, such as Dictionary and Title List, are available at the top of every page directly below the title banner. And each time you perform a search, a "breadcrumb trail" appears, showing the pages you have navigated during your search, from entering your query, to viewing results, to selecting a single document. You can return to a previous step by selecting its link from the trail.
That's the home page, which offers easy ways to begin searching.
Explore the complete list of search options.
Refer to A Guide to What You'll Find on the Results List. To view a document, simply click its title from the results list. You'll be able to view the document, be it an essay from an encyclopedia or a picture.
You can limit a lengthy results list to more precisely target the type of documents you are looking for. Also, if you have too few results, you can expand your search.
Sure! Use the toolbar to print, e-mail and download. Please note that images cannot be e-mailed.
If your library subscribes to Gale databases that cannot be included in a cross-search, you'll find the Additional Databases tab as part of your search results. This tab lets you extend your search into databases not part of the PowerSearch platform, which may include third-party databases, depending on your library's subscription.
Refer to the What is a Document? page.
You may want to create a Marked Items list so that you can "set aside" documents that interest you the most. Then you can click the Marked Items link on the toolbar to view them all at once. From there you can print, e-mail and download. Please remember that Marked Items are not saved once you log off.
This can easily be done using Gale Bookmarks. While viewing a document, results list, or a Marked Items list you have created, click the Bookmark link on the toolbar.
Yes, create a search alert based on your search criteria and the system will check for new/updated content and send you either an alert e-mail or you can subscribe directly to an RSS feed from Gale.
Click the Title List link on the toolbar for a complete list of sources used in this collection.
This database will generate citations for you. Please note that while the data elements for the citations that the system generates have been formatted to meet the latest citation standards set forth by the respective agencies, these citations provide the available publication data for the document cited and should only serve as a guide and not as a replacement for the latest guidebooks – or those required by your instructor. Please refer to the provided MLA and APA examples for proper formatting. Consult your instructor for specific bibliographic style preferences required of your written work.
Find answers to these questions in the General Search Tips.
Simply click the Logout button on the Title bar.
Click the Change Databases button on the Title bar. Alternatively, you can also click the Currently Searching nn database(s) link found at the top of many pages. You'll be exited from PowerSearch and returned to the Database Menu, which lists all the Gale products to which your library subscribes. From the Database Menu you can select and/or de-select a different set of cross searchable Gale collections, then click Submit.
Click the Change Databases button on the Title bar to leave PowerSearch and display the Database Menu, which lists all the Gale products to which your library subscribes. From the Database Menu you can click on any hyperlinked database name to go directly to that product. It is also possible to select just one database to cross-search, if you wish to continue using the PowerSearch interface. Please note that your library may subscribe to additional databases that cannot be accessed through PowerSearch (these are listed under "Additional Databases"), in which case you will have to click directly on the hyperlinked database name.
Check out the How to Use Help page.
Follow the links on the Getting Additional Help page.