University of the WesteRn Cape
Library

SABINET

(South African Bibliographic Network)

User Guide

Database description:

SABINET is a key gateway to South African information sources such as journal articles, books, research reports, theses, newspaper articles, legal information and library holdings.

CONTENTS

ACCESS SABINET:

Search on SA Cat

ISAP: Search for journal articles

SA Media:

TECHNIQUES AND TIPS FOR ONLINE DATABASE SEARCHING

ACCESS SABINET:

Access: 1. Via UWC Library website –

Steps: Click Library

Click Information Resources

Click databases

Scroll down to SABINET or click S in quick

reference index

Select the database of your choice

2. Via the URL:

Step: Click MagNet

  1. Search Strategy:

Identify your information need (what kind of information do you need; what source will serve that need best; what is the timeframe; what type of information do you need; etc.)

Select from the databases available the most appropriate one (you search one database at a time unless you use the topic option)

Search on SA Cat

Three ways to get access to SA Cat:

  1. Use the databases next to Jump to Database
  2. Use the databases next to Jump to Topic
  3. Alternatively, if you are searching in one of the databases of SABINET, click New Search or Database to select SA Cat

4 . Click on cursor to view list of database to search

5. Click on cursor to view list of grouped databases to search

Example on: information on individual databases

Example on: Topic (grouped) search

Searching an individual database e. g. SA Cat

Step 1: Decide on the appropriate database, e. g. SA Cat *

2. One way: Use the Select a Database to search option

3. Click cursor next to Select database to search

4. Scroll down to SACat

5. Click SACat – a basic Search screen opens

Example of the screen

Step 6: Click Advanced Search

7. Decide on the search terms/keywords to use. E. g. of

possible search terms (culture, music, South Africa,

Africa, cultural music)

8. Type the search terms in the search boxes. Remember

to structure the search using Booleans operators and

search limiters.

Step 9: Click Search. A Result list screen appears

Step 10: Read through the references

11. Click on the Title, it brings you to a brief summary if

available

Citation

Full View of the Record

Step 11: To select a number of titles, mark the titles in the

mark box

12. Click on Display Marked Items to view the titles

13. You have the option either to: e-mail these titles to

yourself or to print it.

14. Use the E-mail facility to e-mail and the Internet

browser to print.

15. Click Un-marked all

16. Click Return button

17: Start a new search or Exit SABINET

Search on SA Cat using Find term option

Step 1: Click new Search

2. Click Find term

3. Type the search term/s in the search boxes. E. g.

Kwaito music

4: Click Go

5. Select from list the terms of your choice

Step 6. Click on New Search - Return to Advanced searched
Screen

7. Type the search terms of your choice in the

search boxes

8: Click Go

9: Read the Result screen. Continue as with

Advanced Search.

ISAP: Search for journal articles

Steps:

  1. Select ISAP from the menu (using Select a database to search) or click Databases
  1. Select Advanced search as search option

3. Type the keywords in the indicated boxes

4. Click Search button

5. A Result list appears

6. Read through the list to identify the relevant references

  1. A list of records showing the bibliographic information appears
  2. Select the relevant reference to your need

7. If the Reference is relevant, click in Marked window. You can

only mark references from this list

8. To return to the Result list, click on Results button or the arrow

  1. Continue browsing through the list
  2. Click on “11” to “jump to …” for next 10 items
  3. You may decide to print or e-mail the marked list

A. 12. Click on Databases

13. Select SA Cat

14. Change to Advanced Search

15. Select Title of journal index in SA Cat

16.Type the title of the journal in the indicated box

17. Click Search button

18. A list of titles appears

  1. Select your title
  2. Click on Title to open the Holdings frame. Information on the Holdings library appears

Example showing moving from ISAP to SACat to show Holdings

screen

Example of SACat record

Stilet : tydskrif van die Afrikaanse Letterkundevereniging. Stilet.
Journal Title: Stilet : tydskrif van die Afrikaanse Letterkundevereniging.Published: Pretoria : Afrikaanse Letterkundevereniging,
Description: v. ; 21 cm.
Database: SACat

Example of Selection from Holding screen:

c6520 / Call No: 839.3605 STI / Numbering: 1+ / Location: LIN s.89/234 / IL Status: N
c6680 / Call No: 839.3605 STI / IL Status: n
c8010 / Call No: @ / Numbering: 1+ / IL Status: @

Click Holdings code to open holdings information

Alternatively,

1. work from the record displaying the full reference

Example:

2. Click Holdings

3. The detail of the holding library appears, if available

SA Media:

Searching for newspaper articles

Steps:

  1. Select SA Media from the menu (using Select a database to search) or click Databases

2. Select Advanced search as search option

3. Type the keywords in the indicated boxes

4. Click Search button

5. A list of records showing the bibliographic information appears

6. Select the relevant reference to your need

Example of a Reference:

7. Click on to open the record

8. Click on “Open”

9. Read article

10. To return to the Result list, close the window

11. Continue through the list

12. Print:

  1. Click on Printer icon, when record is open
  2. Click on print

TECHNIQUES AND TIPS FOR ONLINE DATABASE SEARCHING

Electronic databases offer a variety of search and browse options to find information on a topic. Online databases may have either a Thesaurus or Subject Guide, which is a complete list of specially assigned subject terms and keywords to be used when searching the database. Other options include using the name of an author, a popular phrase, a combination of keywords or subject headings linked with specific Boolean operators. Explore both the Basic and Advanced Search options by trying one or a combination of the different search strategies.

NB:First construct the search strategy. Enter the search terms in the search boxes provided, and apply the database limiters to refine the search.

BOOLEAN OPERATORS

The Boolean operators “AND”, “OR”, and “NOT” are used to simplify combination searches. Phrases, author names, article or journal titles, keywords or subject terms may be used in a variety of combinations to search for relevant information on a topic. One might wish to combine an indexing term with the name of an author, or even combine a journal name with an assigned subject heading. Words may be excluded entirely when they follow the Boolean operator “NOT” in a search strategy.

Search options for both BROWSING and SEARCHING the EBSCOhost databases are demonstrated in this guide.

RESULTS LIST

Scan the Search Result List to determine whether the information retrieved on the topic is relevant. The Search Result List shows all citations pertaining to the topic words, which were entered as part of the user’s search strategy. Note how all entries show the different parts of a journal citation, i.e. the name of the author, the article title, the journal title, the publication date, the volume number, the issue number, and in some instances, the start page of the article in the online journal, the length of the article, and where applicable, whether the article contains graphics.

EXAMPLE

ARTICLE CITATION

This example of a citation provides standard reference information

Should your search retrieve zero hits, try the following options: (1) check your spelling, (2) broaden the search, by using synonyms or variant spellings of the word(s), or (3) should your search retrieve too many hits refine your search strategy by using database specific subject headings.

REMEMBER:

  • Use the Advanced Search option to do any type of combination search.
  • Use the BOOLEAN OPERATORS, “AND”, “OR”, and “NOT” to perform the combination searches.

Phrases, author names, article or journal titles, keywords or subject terms may be combined to search for relevant information on a topic.

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UWC Library User Guide February 2004