1. BEGIN 16, Gale Group PROMT, to find product information.

2. EXPAND using the indexing in the database, in this example, Event Names (EN=).

3. SELECT the appropriate E number(s).

4. Connect keywords to the search using the AND operator.

Use the (w) or () proximity connector to retrieve words right next to each other in the order specified. Add truncation (?) to the end of a word to pick up all forms of the word.

?b 16

    File  16:Gale Group PROMT(R) 1990-2008/May 21
       (c) 2008 The Gale Group

      Set  Items  Description
      ---  -----  -----------
?e en=product

Ref   Items  Index-term
E1    23911  EN=POLLUTANTS PRODUCED & RECYCLED
E2     4062  EN=POPULATION INFORMATION
E3        0 *EN=PRODUCT
E4   120458  EN=PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
E5     3820  EN=PRODUCT DISCONTINUED
E6   783055  EN=PRODUCT INFORMATION
E7   400296  EN=PRODUCT INTRODUCTION
E8    10409  EN=PRODUCT QUALITY
E9    19435  EN=PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
E10  118313  EN=PRODUCT STANDARDS SAFETY & RECALLS
E11   83413  EN=PRODUCTION DATA
E12   48607  EN=PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
E13     627  EN=PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY - GENERAL
E14  149407  EN=PUBLIC AFFAIRS
E15   51850  EN=RECEIPT OF FUNDS
E16   21162  EN=RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT OUTLAYS
E17     142  EN=RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DISTRIBUTION
E18    9868  EN=RETAIL & SERVICES MANAGEMENT
. . . .
Enter P or PAGE for more

?s e6 and signal(w)generator?
                  783055  EN=PRODUCT INFORMATION
                  199640  SIGNAL
                   96904  GENERATOR?
                    1057  SIGNAL(W)GENERATOR?
              S1     281  EN='PRODUCT INFORMATION' 
                          AND SIGNAL(w)GENERATOR?

5. TYPE a record or so using Format 8 to see the descriptors.

?t s1/8/1

  1/8/1 
DIALOG(R)File 16: Gale Group PROMT(R)
(c) 2008 The Gale Group. All rights reserved.

      14953898    Supplier Number: 179213757 
                  (USE FORMAT 7 FOR  FULLTEXT) 

USB oscilloscopes.(Brief article) 
May 1 , 2008 
Word Count: 217 
Publisher Name: Reed Business Information Ltd. (Australia) 
Descriptors: *Industrial equipment and supplies industry--
Product  information; Oscilloscopes--Product information 
Event Names: *330 (Product information ) 
Geographic Names: *1USA (United States ) 
Product Names: *3825212 (Oscilloscopes) 
Industry Names: BUSN (Business); INTL (Business, international); 
ELCT  (Electronics ) 
SIC Codes: 3559 (Special industry machinery, not elsewhere 
classified);  3563 (Air and gas compressors); 3565 (Packaging 
machinery); 3566 (Speed  changers, drives, and gears); 3567
(Industrial furnaces and ovens); 3568 (Power  transmission 
equipment, not elsewhere classified); 3569 (General industrial  
machinery, not elsewhere classified); 3589 (Service industry 
machinery, not  elsewhere classified); 3599 (Industrial 
machinery, not elsewhere classified);  5085 (Industrial 
supplies); 3825 (Instruments to measure electricity ) 
NAICS Codes: 334515 (Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring 
and Testing  Electricity and Electrical Signals )

6. Expand the search by ADDing additional databases. These databases also have indexing similar to File 16.

7. REPEAT the same search you just completed in the new files.

?add 18,148,211

SYSTEM:OS  - DIALOG OneSearch
You have   4 files in your file list.
(To see file names, coverage dates, and copyright notices)

      Set  Items  Description
      ---  -----  -----------
Added File(s): 18, 148, 211
Previous sets have been retained; enter DISPLAY SETS to view them.

?repeat
         1299787  EN=PRODUCT INFORMATION
          468904  SIGNAL
          224430  GENERATOR?
            2846  SIGNAL(W)GENERATOR?
      S1     421  EN='PRODUCT INFORMATION' AND SIGNAL()GENERATOR?

8. REMOVE DUPLICATE records.

9. DISPLAY SETS FROM EACH database to see which files contain the most information.

?rd
            S2     315  RD  (unique items

?ds from each

Set   File    Items  Description
       16       281
       18        55
      148        70
      211        15
S1              421  EN='PRODUCT INFORMATION' AND SIGNAL()GENERATOR?
       16       279
       18        10
      148        25
      211         1
S2              315   RD  (unique items)

10. RANK the company name to see which companies are working most on this technology.

Add cont after the company prefix to see a continuous display.

We've chosen here to select the top 15 companies that have the most information on signal generators.

Type a title for your RANKed list.

?rank co cont

Started processing RANK
Processing    100 of    315 records
Processing    200 of    315 records
Processing    300 of    315 records
Completed Ranking 315 records

Press ENTER to view the TOP 50 terms
   or enter a number N to view the top N terms
   or >N to view terms with more than N items
   or enter ALL to view all terms
?15

Enter title for continuous output or press ENTER for current 
title option
?Signal Generator

Adding title to results...
SIGNAL GENERATOR
----------------

The ranked list displays with the company with the most records at the top of the list.

To leave the RANK menu and continue searching, enter EXIT.

You will be prompted to save terms of interest.

RANK: S2/1-315   Field: CO=  File(s): 16,18,148,211
(Rank fields found in 244 records -- 169 unique terms)

RANK No.  Items  Term
--------  -----  ----
    1       23   HEWLETT-PACKARD CO.
    2       15   TEKTRONIX INC.
    3       13   LEADER INSTRUMENTS CORP.
    4        9   FLUKE CORP.
    5        9   LEADER ELECTRONICS CORP.
    6        8   PRODUCT INFORMATION
    7        7   ROHDE AND SCHWARZ INC.
    8        6   ANRITSU WILTRON SALES
    9        5   AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC.
   10        5   KEITHLEY INSTRUMENTS INC.
   11        5   MARCONI INSTRUMENTS INC.
   12        4   ANALOG DEVICES INC.
   13        4   MATSUSHITA COMMUNICATION
   14        4   PANASONIC FACTORY AUTOMATION CO.
   15        4   PRODUCTS
           ---end of results---

P =  next page      Pn = Jump to page n
P- = previous page  M =  More Options     Exit = Leave RANK
To view records from RANK, enter VIEW followed by RANK number,
format, and item(s) to display, e.g., VIEW 2/9/ALL.
Enter desired option(s) or enter RANK number(s) to save terms.

?exit

RANK results will be erased; have you saved all the terms
        of interest? (YES/NO)

?y

Exiting...  (no terms were saved)