Dialog Committed to Training
Companies have long recognized the significance and value of training, and it has always been an integral part of Dialog's commitment to you, our customers. Dialog training subscribes to the notion that adults learn best by hearing, seeing and doing. Thus, Dialog combines on-site training with live Web-based sessions and a variety of self-paced eLearning opportunities, including quick tips, How Do I...? applications, and on-demand courses that you can review online at your convenience. In addition, Online Training And Practice (ONTAP) databases allow you to practice in free files to reinforce what you learned in Dialog classes. Review the articles in this issue about new training materials: At a Glance, 10-minute on-demand modules covering techniques and features of Dialog, content modules, focus on different subjects and Dialog workbooks, as well as search tips on Dialog and DataStar. (cont'd. below)

Commitment to Training (cont'd)

Training by experts
All Dialog trainers, including our Knowledge Center staff, are dedicated professionals with a passion for helping people. They realize that accurate and timely information is vital for you. They are well-versed in our services and the challenges facing information professionals, and are highly qualified to help you take full advantage of our features and capabilities. Read the Knowledge Center interview in the March Chronolog for more about our specialists and register for free subject-specific sessions, new Expert Forums and courses on Dialog products.

Quantum² support
In addition to training classes, Quantum² is an innovative skills-development program provided free-of-charge by Dialog. The program is designed to help information professionals expand their services and improve the flow of information within their organizations. A wide array of hands-on training and resource materials, including Web sites, papers and marketing tools, will help you evolve professionally and gain support from your corporate management. Our goal is to inspire you to increase your visibility and value, by sharing best practices, ideas, and insights on how to lead change, Sign up for the Quantum² Highlights newsletter.

The importance of quality training cannot be overemphasized. So, whatever your skill level—novice to power searcher—Dialog has training to expand your search proficiencies and knowledge of Dialog and DataStar in all subject areas.

Training

Mark your calendar: New live specialized Web-based courses
Dialog's live Web-based training, offered worldwide and in different languages, is designed to increase your effectiveness and add to your understanding of Dialog and DataStar, whether you are just starting out or want to advance to the next level. Dialog specialists share their knowledge with you about specific subject areas in dynamic interactive courses.

• On May 19, a Database Focus Session, part of a new series, introduces you to patent content on Dialog. For this session representatives from Derwent will team up with patent specialists from Dialog's Knowledge Center to discuss content and search techniques in Derwent World Patents Index First View™ (File 331). These new Forums will be coordinated each month with the Free File of the Month promotion so you will be familiar with the file when you try it for free.
• In April, May and June we will also bring you a number of new sessions in business, chemistry and biomedical information, including "Chemistry 101" and "Advanced Biomedical Searching on Dialog" to name two. These one-hour sessions will cover specific databases and search techniques in each specialty.
• In addition, one-hour sessions, designed to familiarize you with Dialog products, include DialogClassic Web and DialogLink® 5.  "Fast Start" (Part 1) introduces you to the particular interface and the basics of searching; "Fast Start" (Part 2) demonstrates some of the unique features on the Dialog system. Review descriptions of each course and sign up for the ones that best meet your needs.

Training On-Demand

Dialog at a Glance: New modules
If you haven't tried the "Dialog at a Glance" modules, then now is the time. Four new 10-minute, on-demand sessions have now joined "Using the EXPAND command" and "Chemical Structure Searching." Each module focuses on one search technique or feature, describing the technique and providing some concise examples illustrating how to use it in your searching.

• Using DIALINDEX® takes you step-by-step through examples illustrating how to use this database finder tool.
• Creating Alerts shows you how to create and edit Alerts in one or more databases.
• Using the Finder Files describes how to locate databases with specific company, journal or product names and provides examples of searching the files.
• Understanding Word- and Phrase-Indexing on Dialog explains how to search in Dialog's basic and additional indexes with step-by-step examples.

Check the Web site often for new modules; then, email us with other techniques you would like to see in this format.

Focus on Content: New overviews
As part of the Free File of the Month promotion, on-demand overviews are designed to help you learn more about the content of databases on Dialog. You can review these five-minute descriptions whenever you have a few minutes. Each overview highlights types of information the database covers, unique features of the file and provides an example of typical content.

Currently available are overviews of the World News Connection (WNC)® (File 985), PASCAL (File 144), EMBASE® (File 72,73), Cengage Gale PROMT® (File 16) and Cengage Gale Trade & Industry Database (File 148). Check them out!

Search Techniques

Dialog Tip: Specialized indexing in the business files
One of the main advantages of using Dialog to search the business files is the powerful indexing available in files such as Cengage Gale PROMT® (File 16), Cengage Gale Trade & Industry Database® (File 148), ABI/INFORM® (File 15), and Business & Industry® (File 9). Here's an example using indexing in PROMT to find the right Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes (SC) for government regulations on pension and health plans:

BEGIN 16 
SELECT (PENSION and HEALTH)/DE,2009

RANK the SIC code (SC) to retrieve a list of SIC codes with the highest results at the top. RANK item 1, SIC code 6371 (the SIC code for pension, health and welfare funds) has more than 70 hits, Item 2 has only seven records.

RANK SC CONT

EXPAND the Event Name (EN=) to find indexing on government activity and combine the indexing with the current date.

EXPAND EN=GOVERNMENT 
SELECT EN=GOVERNMENT REGULATION? AND SC=6371
          AND PY=2009

This search retrieves articles about government endorsement of market principals, pensions, and an insurance company. To figure out the most appropriate indexing terms to use, take the class "Using SIC, NAICS and Other Industry Codes in the Business Files" (June 9).

DataStar Tip: DataStar's Next and Near proximity connectors
What do you do on DataStar when you want to search terms not as exact phrases, but within a few words of each other? Entering a phrase defaults to adjacent (ADJ), where DataStar retrieves only records where the words appear next to each other and in exact order. The WITH operator specifies that the words must be in the same sentence, and that's an easy way to narrow retrieval to terms within about 10 or so words of each other. The NEXT and NEAR operators give you more control when you want to narrow the search a little. These two proximity connectors specify that the terms must be within five words of each other. HYBRID NEXT CAR finds "hybrid car" or "hybrid and electric car" or "hybrid concept car." HYBRID NEAR CAR yields "car with a hybrid system" or "car, a hybrid" or "car, probably a hybrid," to cite a few examples.

In DataStarWeb's Easy Search, use the drop-down menu on the second query line and click NEXT or NEAR, according to your preference. In Advanced Search, enter the statement in the single query line as, e.g. HYBRID NEXT CAR$1. The $1 after the root stem of "CAR" searches for one character after CAR, hence CAR or CARS.

To remember which operator means exact order within five words, think of NEXT, which has the first two letters of exact in it. To learn more about DataStarWeb's proximity connectors, take the on-demand course "Next Steps on DataStar, Featuring DataStarWeb."