Future Training Directions
So many new things are happening at Dialog, and training and documentation are no exception. A series of Update meetings were held in September and early October to inform you about new directions at Dialog, as well as provide training sessions from Dialog experts. Documentation is being updated to reflect new features of Dialog products and other enhancements. Plans for training include a mix of these regional sessions with Dialog experts; instructor-led "short courses" via the web; and courses you can take at your own pace in your own time.

We are committed to providing you with the excellent training you have come to expect from Dialog and to taking advantage of new technologies to bring training to you in different formats to meet your search and learning needs.

Sign up now for the Training Newsletter and the Chronolog® to keep informed of new training courses, search tips, expert insight and more.

Documentation

Most Popular Documentation Updated to Help with your Search Needs
Several of the most requested pieces of Dialog® and DataStar® documentation have been updated to help you with your search needs.

• Successful Searching with Dialog Command Language, the most complete documentation to command searching on Dialog, has been updated so that you can take advantage of the latest system features. This comprehensive guide includes every command on DialogClassic and differences on other Dialog command interfaces—DialogWeb®, DialogLink® 5, and DialogClassic Web™. Review Successful Searching whenever you have a question about a specific command.

• Dialog Pocket Guide , one of the most popular pieces of documentation from Dialog, has been updated to include all new features on the Dialog system. This Guide not only helps you with Dialog basics but also with the latest search techniques and enhancements available on Dialog. Learn how to do a chemical structure search, create reports in Microsoft® Excel and Word and more. Differences between interfaces are also identified.

• DialogLink 5 Help screens have recently been updated, to keep you up to date with the latest features of DialogLink 5. The updated Helps illustrate where DialogLink actions differ from standard Dialog Classic procedures, especially for VISUAL EXPAND and the EXPLODE and EDIT commands. Helps are context sensitive so click the Help button when searching to get a quick answer.

New Database Selection Guides for Searching Dialog and DataStar
You may have noticed that this year the Dialog-DataStar Database Catalog did not contain the DIALINDEX®/OneSearch® categories. That’s because we have new, concise Dialog and DataStar Database Selection Guides to help you select databases for your searches.

Available on the Dialog website, the Dialog Database Selection Guide contains all OneSearch categories, an example of using Database Finder Tools, and how to set an Alias. The DataStar Database Selection Guide lists all CROS categories and illustrates a multi-file search using DataStarWeb.

Search Techniques

Dialog Search Tip: Setting an Alias
If you have identified a set of databases that meet your needs, you can define your OneSearch

category by creating an Alias. The Alias must be a single alpha-numeric word, up to 15 characters. You may then save your new Category to your account profile in order to make it a permanent part of your Dialog account.

In DialogClassic Web and DialogWeb, type:

?set alias meddbs 154,73,5,434

to set up an Alias for the biomedical databases MEDLINE®, EMBASE®, BIOSIS Previews® and SciSearch® with "meddbs" assigned as the name for the Alias.

DataStar Search Tip: Using the Find Databases Tool
For a quick answer to an obscure question, use the Find Databases tool on DataStarWeb. Here's how it works:

• Select a subject.
• Once in the Databases screen, click the Find Databases button, enter search terms and click the Crossearch button. DataStar searches and sorts the results by database with highest number of hits at the top of the list.
• Check the databases you wish to search and click Select Database. In the Databases screen, you can now check the databases you want to search and click Easy Search to conduct the search.