WU Libraries Find it! and Get it! FAQ

Find it! and Get it! FAQ

About Find it!

What is Find it!?
How many sources can I search at once?
Why aren't all resources included in Find it!?

Using Find it!

How do I view my results?
How do I get to the full-text of an article?
Can I sort my results?
How can I save my results?
How can I email my results?
How can I print my results?
How do I limit searches by year? I want articles from 1990-2000.
How do I use wildcards or truncation?
When should I use the Refine feature?
How can I create my own sets of databases?
How can I set up a search alert?

About Get it!

What is Get it!?
Why does the number of options in the Get it! window vary?
Why didn't I get a full text link for my article?
Why did I go to the journal or database home page when I clicked on full text and not to the article?

Other Find it! Questions

What is MetaLib?
Why should I log in?
What browser should I use?
Does Find it! work with EndNote or other citation managers?

What is Find it!?
Find it! is a search interface which allows you to search up to ten databases, including the library catalog, at the same time, and to link from your search to full text resources and other services. Additional features include the ability to select favorite resources and ejournals, and to save searches and records.

Use QuickSearch to perform a Google-like search on multiple databases. Your search will be run in the databases listed in the General Quickset unless you choose another Quickset (by clicking the radio button in front of it). Click on a Quickset name to see the resources included.
Use Find Database to find a specific database.
Use MultiSearch to find and search one or more databases grouped by subject.

How many sources can I search at once?
Up to ten sources may be searched at the same time in Find it!

Why aren't all resources included in Find it!?
Not all databases comply with the technology of Find it! As this technology is becoming standard more and more publishers are beginning to comply; Washington University Library staff will be adding these databases as they become available. In the meantime, you may still access and search these databases within Find it! via Find Database or within the subject categories in MultiSearch.

How do I view my results?
There are 3 ways to view your results:

List View shows the title of the article/book, author, year and database. It allows you to see more records on the screen at a time.
Brief View displays results one after another.
Full View shows the most information, one record on the screen at a time.

Sometimes only a subset of all the results are shown:

To retrieve more records, go to the last record and click on Get More . When you click on Get More , some, but not all of the original results will appear in your new result list. The system is redoing the search and again pulling up the first things it finds and re-ranking them. Citations you haven't seen before will be in bold.
If you use QuickSearch and want to see the results grouped by database, click on "Do more with MultiSearch" (just above the results) and then click "view results by databases." Click on a database name to see the results in that database.

How do I get to the full-text of an article?
In the search results, click on the Get it! or Get it! to see all the options for a specific citation. If the article is available in full-text format, it will be listed first on the Get it! menu and sometimes clicking on Get it! or Get it! will link you directly to the full text. See more about Get it!, below.

Can I sort my results?
Use the Sort by drop-down box to sort by rank, title, author, year or database. Note: sorting is not available for every database.

How can I save my results?

To save a record so you can view it the next time you go into Find it! login if you have not already done so (use the login link in the upper right corner). Click on the check box to add it to My Space. To view the record later, go to My Space, eShelf.
To save a record to a folder in your eShelf, click on "Advanced" or the double disk icon from My Space. You can then select the references you wish to move over into your folders or create a new folder to save marked records in.
To save a single record to a disk or personal drive, click on the title to go into the Full View of the record. Then click on the disk icon . A record format window is displayed from which you can select the format of the file to be saved and opened later in Microsoft Word (or Word Viewer). The options are as follows:
- Standard (Recommended): Saves the file as a standard text file in a format similar to that displayed on the screen.
- MARC21 format: Saves the file with MARC21 cataloging tags.
- Citation Manager (Recommended): Saves the file in the format of the ISI Citation Manager that is installed on your computer: EndNote, ProCite, or Reference Manager.

Campus popup-blocker software may prevent this initially-follow the directions on the screen to proceed. For example, in Internet Explorer: popup blocker example

Caution: records are downloaded in formats that use software applications that most library computers do not provide, so we recommend that users not try to download records. Save to My Space instead.

To save a group of records you must first save them to My Space. Once in My Space select which records you would like to save by checking the box next to them or by selecting the box next to Author, which will select all records listed. Next, click on Selected. This will bring up a screen verifying which records you have chosen. Click on Save and then choose your record format (Standard or Citation Manager recommended).

How can I email my results?
To email a single record select the Full View (or click on the title of the article) and click . A record format window is displayed from which you can select the format of the file to be emailed. Choose from these options:

Standard (Recommended): Sends the file as a standard text file in a format similar to that displayed on the screen.
MARC21 format: Sends the file with MARC21 cataloging tags.

Type in a subject, your email address, any comments, and click Send.

To email a group of records, save them to My Space. Once in My Space select which records you would like to send by checking the box next to each one or by selecting the box next to Author, which will select all records listed. Next, click on Selected. This will bring up a screen verifying which records you have selected. Click on Send and then choose your record format (Standard recommended). Type in a subject, your email address, any comments, and click Send.

How can I print my results?
From List, Brief, or Full View you can use your browser's print command under File or the print icon at the top of the screen to print a record or group of records. Note that you'll probably want to use Brief or Full - List View doesn't give you enough info to actually find the article!

How do I limit searches by year? I want articles from 1990-2000.
Using Advanced search, select Year from the drop-down menu. The hyphen is not recognized by Find it! To search for multiple years, combine them with OR. For example: 1990 or 1991 or 1992. . .

How do I use wildcards or truncation?
Truncation is the shortening or cutting off part of a keyword so that it will match with all terms starting with the same stem, e.g., librar? will match with library, libraries, librarian, librarianship, etc. A question mark [?] is used as a wildcard symbol for truncation in Find it! Other truncation symbols may appear to work (depending upon the resources selected) but will not give you complete or accurate search results.

When should I use the Refine feature?
The Refine feature works best when you have one additional word that you'd like to add to your search with AND. In most cases, you will get better results if you conduct a completely new search.

How can I create my own sets of databases?

If you haven't logged in yet, do so by clicking on the login link in the upper right corner.
Use Find Databases or MultiSearch to see the databases available. Click on to choose all of the databases you want in your personal list. The icon will change to .
Click on My Space on the navigation toolbar; then click My Databases.
The databases you chose will appear on the Clipboard on the right side.
You can save the databases on the clipboard by clicking on on the Clipboard side of the screen. Give the set a name. Alternatively, if you want to add databases to an existing set, choose the set you want from the left side and click on the to add the database to that set.
To give the set a description, click on the .
Your database sets appear on the MultiSearch/My Databases screen as well as the QuickSearch screen.
Note: only databases with the magnifying glass icon can be searched from Find it! Databases without the can only be searched one-at-a-time by going into the native interface (click on the database name).

How can I set up a search alert?
Find it! allows you to save searches so you can re-run them at a later date. You can also run a search automatically, by setting up an alert. Alerts can be run at any interval you specify (e.g., daily, weekly, and monthly). A message will arrive from the Washington University Libraries with "Metalib Alert Report" in the subject line. A link in the email will run your search when you click on it and login to Find it! You will retrieve all citations, not just new items.

If you haven't logged in yet, do so by clicking on the login link in the upper right corner.
To save a search or set up an alert, you must use MultiSearch. After you click Go and get search results, click on Previous Searches, found below the link to MultiSearch. Click on to save it.
Now click on My Space in the toolbar, and then click on History underneath. The searches you saved during the current session will be listed. To re-run the search, click on the query.
To set the saved query as an alert, click on .
A number of fields must be filled in on the Alerts form. Mandatory fields are indicated with an asterisk. The alert will run on the same resources as your original search unless you use the toggle boxes to turn them off.
To edit or delete alerts, click on .

What is Get it!?
Get it! allows you to link from a citation in a database within Find it! to the full-text and/or a list of services for that item. Click on Get it! or Get it! to:

View the full text of an article online
Check the Washington University Library Catalog to see if we own the item
Check other library catalogs to see if another library owns the item
Search the Web for the title of an article
Request help from a Reference librarian
Request the item through ILLiad

Different options will be offered, depending upon the citation you select.

Why does the number of options in the Get it! window vary?
When you click on Get it! or Get it! , the system searches the Get it! database to see what services are available for that item. Only those services which are available for that particular item will be displayed.

Why didn't I get a full text link for my article?
There are three possible reasons:

There is no full-text version available (either for that journal or for specific [usually older] volumes of it).
Washington University Libraries do not own a subscription to that journal in an online format. Check the catalog to see if we own it in a different format.
The database may not be sending Get it! the information it needs to find the article.

Why did I go to the journal or database home page when I clicked on full text and not to the article?
Get it! will try to get you as close to the full text as it can. Sometimes the best Get it! can do is take you to the table of contents or the journal's home page because of the way a particular publisher has structured its website. Essentially a full-text link in Get it! means that the full-text is available, but you may have to do some of the work of getting to it yourself.

What is MetaLib?
You might notice that when you save or send records via email they will come from MetaLib. MetaLib is the original product name for Find it! The Washington University Libraries have chosen instead to call it Find it! because we feel it more accurately describes this tool.

Why should I log in?
Logging in allows you to:

Save electronic copies of articles or citations
Create and save your own list of favorite databases
Create search alerts, which send the results of a search to you at intervals of your choice

If you are off campus, you must log in to access subscription databases. Log in with your last name and your Washington University ID. The Log in link is on the upper-right portion of the page, next to Exit and Help.

What browser should I use?
We recommend using Internet Explorer version 6 or higher, Netscape version 7 or higher, Mozilla 1.6 or 1.7, Firefox, or Safari 1.2. Find it! does not work with earlier versions of Netscape.

Does Find it! work with EndNote or other citation managers?
Yes. Click on the Full View of a record to save the record to your computer. Select Citation Manager as the Record Format from the drop-down menu. You can also save records from your e-shelf. Check the boxes next to the records and then click on Selected. Then click on Save and select Citation Manager as the record format. If EndNote is installed on your computer, it will automatically open. You will be prompted to choose a Reference Library (.enl file) to save the records in.

For further help, contact the Reference Help Desk at 314-935-5410 or , or contact your Subject Librarian.

Skip navigation Library Home Search Resources Catalog Articles Databases Research Help Check This Out How Do I ... Services Libraries Comments WUSTL		Find it! and Get it! FAQ About Find it! What is Find it!? How many sources can I search at once? Why aren't all resources included in Find it!? Using Find it! How do I view my results? How do I get to the full-text of an article? Can I sort my results? How can I save my results? How can I email my results? How can I print my results? How do I limit searches by year? I want articles from 1990-2000. How do I use wildcards or truncation? When should I use the Refine feature? How can I create my own sets of databases? How can I set up a search alert? About Get it! What is Get it!? Why does the number of options in the Get it! window vary? Why didn't I get a full text link for my article? Why did I go to the journal or database home page when I clicked on full text and not to the article? Other Find it! Questions What is MetaLib? Why should I log in? What browser should I use? Does Find it! work with EndNote or other citation managers? What is Find it!? Find it! is a search interface which allows you to search up to ten databases, including the library catalog, at the same time, and to link from your search to full text resources and other services. Additional features include the ability to select favorite resources and ejournals, and to save searches and records. Use QuickSearch to perform a Google-like search on multiple databases. Your search will be run in the databases listed in the General Quickset unless you choose another Quickset (by clicking the radio button in front of it). Click on a Quickset name to see the resources included. Use Find Database to find a specific database. Use MultiSearch to find and search one or more databases grouped by subject. How many sources can I search at once? Up to ten sources may be searched at the same time in Find it! Why aren't all resources included in Find it!? Not all databases comply with the technology of Find it! As this technology is becoming standard more and more publishers are beginning to comply; Washington University Library staff will be adding these databases as they become available. In the meantime, you may still access and search these databases within Find it! via Find Database or within the subject categories in MultiSearch. How do I view my results? There are 3 ways to view your results: List View shows the title of the article/book, author, year and database. It allows you to see more records on the screen at a time. Brief View displays results one after another. Full View shows the most information, one record on the screen at a time. Sometimes only a subset of all the results are shown: To retrieve more records, go to the last record and click on Get More . When you click on Get More , some, but not all of the original results will appear in your new result list. The system is redoing the search and again pulling up the first things it finds and re-ranking them. Citations you haven't seen before will be in bold. If you use QuickSearch and want to see the results grouped by database, click on "Do more with MultiSearch" (just above the results) and then click "view results by databases." Click on a database name to see the results in that database. How do I get to the full-text of an article? In the search results, click on the or to see all the options for a specific citation. If the article is available in full-text format, it will be listed first on the Get it! menu and sometimes clicking on or will link you directly to the full text. See more about Get it!, below. Can I sort my results? Use the Sort by drop-down box to sort by rank, title, author, year or database. Note: sorting is not available for every database. How can I save my results? To save a record so you can view it the next time you go into Find it! login if you have not already done so (use the login link in the upper right corner). Click on the check box to add it to My Space. To view the record later, go to My Space, eShelf. To save a record to a folder in your eShelf, click on "Advanced" or the double disk icon from My Space. You can then select the references you wish to move over into your folders or create a new folder to save marked records in. To save a single record to a disk or personal drive, click on the title to go into the Full View of the record. Then click on the disk icon . A record format window is displayed from which you can select the format of the file to be saved and opened later in Microsoft Word (or Word Viewer). The options are as follows: Standard (Recommended): Saves the file as a standard text file in a format similar to that displayed on the screen. MARC21 format: Saves the file with MARC21 cataloging tags. Citation Manager (Recommended): Saves the file in the format of the ISI Citation Manager that is installed on your computer: EndNote, ProCite, or Reference Manager. Campus popup-blocker software may prevent this initially-follow the directions on the screen to proceed. For example, in Internet Explorer: Caution: records are downloaded in formats that use software applications that most library computers do not provide, so we recommend that users not try to download records. Save to My Space instead. To save a group of records you must first save them to My Space. Once in My Space select which records you would like to save by checking the box next to them or by selecting the box next to Author, which will select all records listed. Next, click on Selected. This will bring up a screen verifying which records you have chosen. Click on Save and then choose your record format (Standard or Citation Manager recommended). How can I email my results? To email a single record select the Full View (or click on the title of the article) and click . A record format window is displayed from which you can select the format of the file to be emailed. Choose from these options: Standard (Recommended): Sends the file as a standard text file in a format similar to that displayed on the screen. MARC21 format: Sends the file with MARC21 cataloging tags. Type in a subject, your email address, any comments, and click Send. To email a group of records, save them to My Space. Once in My Space select which records you would like to send by checking the box next to each one or by selecting the box next to Author, which will select all records listed. Next, click on Selected. This will bring up a screen verifying which records you have selected. Click on Send and then choose your record format (Standard recommended). Type in a subject, your email address, any comments, and click Send. How can I print my results? From List, Brief, or Full View you can use your browser's print command under File or the print icon at the top of the screen to print a record or group of records. Note that you'll probably want to use Brief or Full - List View doesn't give you enough info to actually find the article! How do I limit searches by year? I want articles from 1990-2000. Using Advanced search, select Year from the drop-down menu. The hyphen is not recognized by Find it! To search for multiple years, combine them with OR. For example: 1990 or 1991 or 1992. . . How do I use wildcards or truncation? Truncation is the shortening or cutting off part of a keyword so that it will match with all terms starting with the same stem, e.g., librar? will match with library, libraries, librarian, librarianship, etc. A question mark [?] is used as a wildcard symbol for truncation in Find it! Other truncation symbols may appear to work (depending upon the resources selected) but will not give you complete or accurate search results. When should I use the Refine feature? The Refine feature works best when you have one additional word that you'd like to add to your search with AND. In most cases, you will get better results if you conduct a completely new search. How can I create my own sets of databases? If you haven't logged in yet, do so by clicking on the login link in the upper right corner. Use Find Databases or MultiSearch to see the databases available. Click on to choose all of the databases you want in your personal list. The icon will change to . Click on My Space on the navigation toolbar; then click My Databases. The databases you chose will appear on the Clipboard on the right side. You can save the databases on the clipboard by clicking on on the Clipboard side of the screen. Give the set a name. Alternatively, if you want to add databases to an existing set, choose the set you want from the left side and click on the to add the database to that set. To give the set a description, click on the . Your database sets appear on the MultiSearch/My Databases screen as well as the QuickSearch screen. Note: only databases with the magnifying glass icon can be searched from Find it! Databases without the can only be searched one-at-a-time by going into the native interface (click on the database name). How can I set up a search alert? Find it! allows you to save searches so you can re-run them at a later date. You can also run a search automatically, by setting up an alert. Alerts can be run at any interval you specify (e.g., daily, weekly, and monthly). A message will arrive from the Washington University Libraries with "Metalib Alert Report" in the subject line. A link in the email will run your search when you click on it and login to Find it! You will retrieve all citations, not just new items. If you haven't logged in yet, do so by clicking on the login link in the upper right corner. To save a search or set up an alert, you must use MultiSearch. After you click Go and get search results, click on Previous Searches, found below the link to MultiSearch. Click on to save it. Now click on My Space in the toolbar, and then click on History underneath. The searches you saved during the current session will be listed. To re-run the search, click on the query. To set the saved query as an alert, click on . A number of fields must be filled in on the Alerts form. Mandatory fields are indicated with an asterisk. The alert will run on the same resources as your original search unless you use the toggle boxes to turn them off. To edit or delete alerts, click on . What is Get it!? Get it! allows you to link from a citation in a database within Find it! to the full-text and/or a list of services for that item. Click on or to: View the full text of an article online Check the Washington University Library Catalog to see if we own the item Check other library catalogs to see if another library owns the item Search the Web for the title of an article Request help from a Reference librarian Request the item through ILLiad Different options will be offered, depending upon the citation you select. Why does the number of options in the Get it! window vary? When you click on or , the system searches the Get it! database to see what services are available for that item. Only those services which are available for that particular item will be displayed. Why didn't I get a full text link for my article? There are three possible reasons: There is no full-text version available (either for that journal or for specific [usually older] volumes of it). Washington University Libraries do not own a subscription to that journal in an online format. Check the catalog to see if we own it in a different format. The database may not be sending Get it! the information it needs to find the article. Why did I go to the journal or database home page when I clicked on full text and not to the article? Get it! will try to get you as close to the full text as it can. Sometimes the best Get it! can do is take you to the table of contents or the journal's home page because of the way a particular publisher has structured its website. Essentially a full-text link in Get it! means that the full-text is available, but you may have to do some of the work of getting to it yourself. What is MetaLib? You might notice that when you save or send records via email they will come from MetaLib. MetaLib is the original product name for Find it! The Washington University Libraries have chosen instead to call it Find it! because we feel it more accurately describes this tool. Why should I log in? Logging in allows you to: Save electronic copies of articles or citations Create and save your own list of favorite databases Create search alerts, which send the results of a search to you at intervals of your choice If you are off campus, you must log in to access subscription databases. Log in with your last name and your Washington University ID. The Log in link is on the upper-right portion of the page, next to Exit and Help. What browser should I use? We recommend using Internet Explorer version 6 or higher, Netscape version 7 or higher, Mozilla 1.6 or 1.7, Firefox, or Safari 1.2. Find it! does not work with earlier versions of Netscape. Does Find it! work with EndNote or other citation managers? Yes. Click on the Full View of a record to save the record to your computer. Select Citation Manager as the Record Format from the drop-down menu. You can also save records from your e-shelf. Check the boxes next to the records and then click on Selected. Then click on Save and select Citation Manager as the record format. If EndNote is installed on your computer, it will automatically open. You will be prompted to choose a Reference Library (.enl file) to save the records in. For further help, contact the Reference Help Desk at 314-935-5410 or , or contact your Subject Librarian.

last update: Thursday, March 06, 2008 Page maintained by: library.webmaster@wumail.wustl.edu © 1993-2008 CDT Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA