Download Guide to catalogue searching


OLIS web OPAC: Search tips
This guide provides tips on getting the best results
from OLIS (http://library.ox.ac.uk), and on finding
material specific to the Refugee Studies Centre
Library. If you are new to OLIS, first consult the
leaflets titled OLIS: Searching the web catalogue,
guide 1 – getting started and OLIS: Searching the
web catalogue, guide 2 – further functions. There is
also help available on all the OLIS screens.
I can’t find the book ‘The price of indifference’
using the Browse search but I know the Library
has a copy.
Delete ‘The’ and try again. Leading articles should
be omitted when doing a Browse search.
How can I find the most recently published
material?
Click on Search for keywords and submit your
search. If you have less than 500 results you can
sort the records by date published. At the top of the
result list click on the Sort by option ‘Date’.

Did you use the Browse search? The
Keyword search usually works best for
subjects.
Check that you selected the right index to
search. ‘All subjects’ is best for subject
searching as this includes terms from the
International thesaurus of refugee terminology.
Use the Refine search option to change the
index by editing the two-letter abbreviation to
the left of the search term. In the example
screenshot below au (for authors) should be
changed to su (for subjects).
If you have more than 500 results or you want to
search on a particular date or date range, click on
Set/Clear Limits on the sidebar. Type the date(s)
following these examples:
2001
20012001-2003
-2001
finds 2001 only
finds 2001 onwards
finds 2001, 2002, 2003
finds 2001 and earlier
How can I tell if an item is in the grey boxes or
on the book shelves?
As with the RSC web catalogue, this is not made
explicit in the shelfmark or anywhere else in the
record. From the result list click on the title to view
the record display which gives more details about
the item. The page numbers give an indication of
where to look first and there may be other clues
such as an ISBN or commercial publisher.


Too few or no records found
Try truncating your search term. For example,
typing rwand* will find Rwanda, Rwandans,
Rwandese. However, as OLIS is such a large
database your search may fail because there
are potentially too many results.
Think of alternative words or spellings and
combine them using OR, for example camps
OR settlements.


Check the International thesaurus of refugee
terminology in print in the Library or online at
http://refugeethesaurus.org. This is used to
provide the specialised subject headings in the
OLIS record. For example, searching for IDPs
retrieves no records, whereas internally
displaced persons (the thesaurus term)
retrieves 225 records.
If there is a record which is relevant, look at the
subjects listed in the record display to check if
there is a term that is more appropriate for your
topic. Click on the term to find more records
containing that term.
Too many records found



Use the Keyword search to combine terms
using AND. This makes your search more
specific. For example searching for asylum
retrieves 896 records, searching for asylum
AND germany retrieves 33 records.
Click on Set/Clear Limits to limit your search
by date of publication, language or material
type.
Check the International thesaurus of refugee
terminology for terms that may be more specific
and then use the Browse search remembering
to select the correct index from the drop-down
list. For example, a browse search for asylum
policy in all subjects retrieves 89 items
compared to the keyword search for asylum
policy in all subjects which retrieves 246
records.
selecting the index ‘All titles’ from the drop-down
list. Type your search term(s) in the second box,
select the appropriate index and submit your
search. Alternatively, use Set/Clear Limits and
select the Material Type ‘Audio-Visual’ (see below).
Click on Set Limits and do a Keyword search as
normal.
Finding journal / periodical titles
Currently, only key academic journals are
catalogued in OLIS. If you know the exact title type
it in the Browse search box and select the index
‘Journal title’ from the drop-down menu. If you are
not sure of the exact title but know a few words from
the title use the Keyword search. If you cannot
find the title, try the RSC web catalogue, consult the
paper list of key periodicals or ask staff.
I followed the hyperlinks in the record display
and can’t get back to my original results
Click on History on the sidebar. This displays your
previous searches. Click on a search to repeat it.
Beware of the short session time – the system will
log you out after 15 minutes of inactivity and you will
lose your search history and any marked records.
Finding videorecordings
Currently, OLIS contains records for
videorecordings acquired by the RSC Library since
July 2004 only. For earlier recordings search the
RSC web catalogue. In OLIS use the Keyword
search and type videorecording in one box,
Refugee Studies Centre Library, OULS
March 2006
Web http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk
Email [email protected]
Tel. 01865 270298 Fax. 01865 270721
RSC LIBRARY
OLIS web OPAC
Search tips