Metadex includes the electronic versions of Aluminum Industry Abstracts [1972 to date], Corrosion Abstracts [1980 to date], Engineered Materials Abstracts [1986 to date], Metals Business File [1985 to date], Metadex [Metals Abstracts; 1966 to date], Weldasearch  [1967 to date], and World Ceramics Abstracts [1975 to date].. The Metadex files index and abstract the international materials and metals literature. Citations and abstracts are given for journal articles, technical reports, proceedings, reviews, books, patents and conference papers.
 

GETTING STARTED

At a Public Site PC, Mac, or Workstation

Open the Netscape browser
Click on Information Resources
Click on Article Indexes and Abstracts (Databases)
Click on Metadex
Click on Access Metadex
Choose the Materials Sciences category
Choose Quick or Advanced search

Use the Quick Search for finding articles by a specific author, articles from a specific journal, or just a fast review of a topic.  For more in depth work, use the Advanced Search.

First, choose the appropriate database(s) for your search topic by clicking in the box to the left of each database.   Clicking on multiple databases will perform the same search in all of them, simultaneously.

The Quick Search Form

   Clicking on the  [when actually using Metadex] will retrieve an information page on the specific item.
 
 

	enter words or author names here.  Use an asterisk (*) to find all variations of a word; "contamin*" finds "contaminate, contaminating";"alumin*m" finds "aluminum" or "aluminium."
	choose keywords, author, title words, journal title words, or "anywhere"
	choose exact for phrase searches, any for logical OR searches, or all for logical AND
	click on pull-downs to change date ranges
	click on pull-down to change to sort by publication date
	click on pull-down to change to citation and abstract or full record
	click on Search to execute

The Key Words search finds words in the title, abstract, and subject fields.

The Title search restricts results to words found in the title of the article.

The Author search restricts results to the author field. Authors names are in the database as last name and initials.
Example: Wood JB will only find articles by J. B. Wood, not articles on "wood" nor articles by "John B. Wood."

The Journal Name search finds words in the journal title only.  This is useful for scanning articles from the same journal over several issues.

The Anywhere search finds terms anywhere within the same record: title, author, abstract, subject terms, conference or journal title, author's location, etc. Example: silver and coating* would find articles on silver coatings and also articles by A. G. Silver on ceramic coatings.

The default Search Results screen shows the search performed in the left window and lists the database(s) searched, the number of references found in each one, and the results from the first database chosen, 25 records per screen.

Save/Print/Email

All of the citations can be downloaded, printed, and/or emailed by clicking on the Save/Print/Email Records label. Alternatively, individual citations can be "Marked" by clicking on the box to the left of the record, then saved/printed/emailed.

On the Save/Print/Email screen, chose the Records (marked or all), the Record Format, and then click on Email, Save, or Print.  References are ASCII text; for downloading, choose the appropriate platform for the file format.

CAUTION: Lengthy results lists, especially with abstracts, can produce files too large for email. Break them into smaller files if necessary.

The Advanced Search allows submitting a complicated search, using Boolean logic and multiple field codes.  This can produce better search results and save time, but requires careful attention to search structure.
 
 
 

Advanced Search
Search Helpers:		Select the search field from the pull-down menu, then enter terms, and combine (and, or, not)
Use the pull-downs to change date ranges
Choose sort and record display types
Click on Search to execute or Clear to start over
Expert searchers can create field specific, nested Boolean searches in one phrase.

In lengthy and/or complicated searches, it is sometimes useful to re-do or  modify an earlier search step.  The Review option lists all of the searches in your current session, last one first.  To re-do an earlier step, locate it in the list and click on Run.  To modify an earlier step, first mark it by clicking in the Strategy box, then change the date/sort/show options, then click on Search Again.  To combine several searches, mark them,  choose the And or Or combination, then click on Search Again.

Not sure that the journal you are looking for is covered by this database?  Click on the Serial Source List for a complete alphabetical list of all titles indexed.

  and   are NOT available in the Metadex suite.

Special Note: Chemical formulae are entered into the database as "words," not numbers.  "Al2O3" is entered as "Al sub 2 O sub 3" and the spaces are required.  Because formulae are not always present in the references, compounds should be searched both as formulae and phrases: "Al sub 2 O sub 3" and "aluminum oxide."

Find articles on aluminum oxide written in English by researchers at Lehigh or in Tokyo within the last three years

    Advanced Search Method

    Command Line Method
 

Last Revised: 8/26/99                                                                                                             Sharon Siegler

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