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Using DELCAT

Search Tips

Basic Search Tips

You can search DELCAT by simply entering keywords, as you might in any search engine. However, there are other strategies you can use if this approach is not working well for you:

  •     Use quotation marks to isolate specific names or phrases that you are seeking. 

"Abraham Lincoln"  (will exclude results like Lincoln, Nebraska or Abraham Heschel)

Using Boolean Logic

  •     Use the word AND (capitalized) to add search terms that make your search more specific.

"domestic violence" AND dating

  •     Use the word OR (capitalized) to search for synonyms or closely related terms at the same time.

adolescents OR teens

  •     Use the word NOT (capitalized) to exclude a term from your search and reduce the number of irrelevant results.

humor NOT vitreous

Advanced Search Tips

Searching by author, subject, title, resource type, language and/or date

Go To DELCAT Advanced Search via the Library's homepage 

 

Advanced Search link from the Library's homepage
 

Or go to go to Advanced Search within DELCAT

 

 

At the Advanced Search page

 

 

Click on Search Filters to choose a filter such as Author, Title, or Subject.  Choose any remaining search filters or criteria as needed such as Resource Type, Language, or Start Date/End Date.

 

Expanding My Results

Expanding your search results will allow you to find items that are not owned by UD libraries. Items found by toggling on Expand My Results in the list of brief results will often require that the item be requested via Interlibrary Loan. When searching DELCAT and Libraries Worldwide, you'll find our collections, open access materials freely available online to everyone as well as materials not in the Library's collection.  In order to find a larger number of items that are not in the Library's collection, you'll need to toggle on Expand My Results.

Screenshot of search with the expand results option turned on and a black arrow pointing to the check box.

Personalized search

You can set your preferences for certain disciplines using the personalized search. You can turn the personalized search on and off at your discretion. These settings are saved to your profile, provided your are logged into your library account, and can be edited when the personalized search is turned on using the options on the top left side of your screen.

screen shot of delcat interface with personalize turned on and edit disciplines highlighted.

Search Suggestions

Some searches will tell you that they are including other common words or phrases related to the search that you typed in. You can turn this off by clicking on the option provided.

Screenshot of a search for university students with a display that says "including college student" highlighted in red

About The Topic

Some topics will have encyclopedia entries that appear at the top of your search results list labeled "About The Topic" You can click the available link to get an overview of the topic before diving deeper into your research. This is ideal for researchers that are new to a subject.

Search for World War II with about the topic displayed below the search

Search Inside a Journal

Journal records now include a section that will let you search within a journal. This can be helpful if you know the title of an article but not the volume or issue numbers. 

Screen shot of search inside a journal.

Explore More Titles

This option is only available on print books and will allow you to see which other books are shelved near the one you are viewing. You can find this by clicking on the title of a print book and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

screen shot of explore more titles section

Limiting Search Results

After you have conducted a search and have a list of search results, you have the option to limit the results by the filters on the left hand side of a desktop monitor or via the filter icon on a mobile device.

Filter icon on mobile device

 

How do I limit my search to articles?

Use the "Articles" filter available under the "Resource Type" menu.

screenshot of the resource type filter with articles checked.

How do I limit my search to e-books?

Turn on the "Available online" and "Books" filters in the Show Only menu and the Resource Type menu. 

screenshot of filters with available online and books checked.

How do I search for videos?

Select "Video" from the resource type filter menu. You may need to click "Show More" to see this option.

Screen shot of the resource type menu with an arrow pointing toward show more.

How do I limit my search to peer reviewed research?

Choose "Peer-reviewed Journals" from the Show Only filter menu

Screen shot of filter menu with Peer-reviewed journals highlighted

How do I limit my search to physical items that the UD Library owns or that are available electronically?

Option 1 ) Use the "Held by library" filter for physical items or the "Available online" filter for electronic options. 

screen shot of show only menu with held by library and available online highlighted

Option 2) Use the DELCAT drop down menu to only search library collections, which will include both physical and electronic materials.

screen shot of the search bar with the drop down menu open and DELCAT selected.

Exclusion filters

Sometimes you may want to exclude certain types of materials instead of including them in your search result, you can do this with the new exclusion feature. You'll need to hover your mouse over the criteria you want to exclude to see the orange check box.

screen shot of resource type menu with arrow pointing toward red check box

To see request options, Sign In to your library account.

Accessing and Requesting Materials

 

Where are the full text links button?

You'll see the words "Available Online" under items that you can access online. This link will take you to the View Online section of the record where you can use any available links to view your item.

screenshot of a book record with available online link highlighted

How do I request physical items available in the Library's collection?

When you'd like us to pull a print book from the shelf, use the "Request" button.  Other request options such as "Request a Book Chapter" and "Requesting a Journal Scan" will display when applicable.  "Request Item through Interlibrary Loan" will display when an item is not immediately available or is not available at all in the Library's collection.

How do I request an item not available at the UD Library?

To see electronic items not available in full text or to see physical items not in the collection, turn on the "Expand My Results" at the top of the filter menu once your initial list of search results displays. If an article says "No online access" or "Check for available services," click on the record.  Request options, via Interlibrary Loan, will display, provided your are signed into your library account. as in the two images below: 

 

or

Where is the Permalink/ Stable URL?

Permalinks are located in the "Send to" section.

screen shot of the send to section with the a red box highlighting the permalink option.

Where is the Map It feature and call number for my book?

The clickable "Map It" feature and the call number are displayed on print books in the brief view of your item under the description. They are also in the Access section of the full item view.

Screenshot of a book with a black arrow pointing toward the map it feature

Why do some results say "Multiple Versions?"

This is because UD Libraries, Museums and Press owns two or more versions of a book or article. You can click on the title to see which versions are available to you and where they are located.