U N I V E R S I T Y O F T H E W E S T E R N C A P EL I B R A R Y

Nexus: Current and Completed Research

User Guide

Database Description

The database contains information on research projects in South Africa. It covers research projects done at universities, technikons and also at research organisations. Records of the Union Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations (UCTD) are also included. It includes masters and doctoral theses.

UWC Library User Guide February 2004

CONTENTS

ACCESS NEXUS..................................................................3

LIST OF DATABASES IN NEXUS............................................3

SEARCHING CURRENT AND COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS.........................................................................................5

SEARCH RESULTS...............................................................9

RETRIEVAL OPTIONS.........................................................12

INSTITUTION SEARCH.......................................................13

TIPS ON SEARCHING CURRENT AND COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS........................................................................15

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ACCESS NEXUS

Use your personal computer:o in your office or o in a computer laboratory or o visit the UWC Library, Level 6 and ask library staff member

on duty for a computer you can use for searching databases

Use web browser Internet Explorer. Connect to the UWC Library homepage at:

http://www.uwc.ac.za/library/ Click on Information Resources Click on Databases Click on the first letter of the database e.g. N for Nexus or Scroll down and click on the name of the database Nexus

LIST OF DATABASES IN NEXUS

Research Projects – current and completed

The database contains information on approximately 135 900-research projects in South Africa. It covers research projects done at universities, technikons and also at research organisations. Records of the Union Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations (UCTD) are also included. It covers research projects as well as masters and doctoral theses. The database aims to provide research designs in 100 words on current projects, and an abstract of 300 words for each completed project. It provides information on all fields of science since 1919. English titles are given for projects not in English. Provides bibliographical information of theses. Professional AssociationsProvides professional associations in Social Sciences and Humanites

Forthcoming Conferences

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Consists of information on forthcoming conferences nationally and internationally on the following disciplines: Social sciences and Humanities; Education, Art and Behavioural sciences

Researchers Networking

This database facilitates research networking and collaboration between researchers and research institutions by providing information on profiles of individual researchers in South Africa, including their fields of interest and areas of specialisation.

Research Organizations

The database was established in 1993 and is being updated annually. It contains information on approximately 340 research organisations active in the humanities and social sciences research areas.

Periodical Submission Requirements

The database supports research capacity development through the provision of information on the editorial policies and guidelines on the submission requirements of manuscripts of the major South African and international journals in the social sciences and humanities. The following information will be included, title of periodical; frequency of publication, editorial address, e-mail, discipline(s), aims and scope as well as the submission criteria.

NRF Funded Projects

The database lists NRF research grants for 2000, 2001 and 2002 in the natural and social sciences, engineering and technology and the humanities.

Women-in-Research

The database of women scholars in South Africa is a tool through which the Women-in-Research project of the National Research Foundation hopes to facilitate networking and research collaboration among women researchers across all disciplines.

The database can be searched by name, institution, discipline or research interests. New information may be submitted electronically

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by clicking on the "data entry form" button and completing the on-line form.

Searching Current and Completed Research ProjectsStep 1: Accessing Research Projects

Select a Database e.g. Research Projects Click inside the text box User ID and type zuwc1 Click inside the text box Password and type uwc then click OK.

Step 2: Selecting the search modeSearch modes: Quick search, Advanced search menu and Professional searchQuick SearchThis is a basic type of a search. One searches using all words or phrases

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Click on Research Projects

Step 3: Select a search optionKeyword search allows one to search the database by title keywords, subjects, abstracts etc.

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Click on Advanced Menu

Click on Keywords

Apply Boolean or Proximity Operators as required N.B. See last page on the guide on how to use Boolean and Proximity Operators

If you want to do a keyword search in a specific field, click on the arrow next to ALL

A drop-down menu will appear with the following options for field searching: All Title Abstracts Contents

Highlight and click on a specific field

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Type search words

Step 4: Limit your search (optional)

Click in the box next to All current projects on your topic and All completed projects on your topic if you want to limit your search.

Type in the text boxes to indicate the years you want to search (current and also completed projects).

Type the relevant discipline code, or to find the discipline (subject) code: Click on Help button. A list of abbreviated subject codes (arranged

alphabetically) will be displayed. Click on the relevant discipline (subject) description (e.g. “computer

science”) Computer Science code is 112 Find the relevant code. Make a note of it (or copy it) Use the web browser’s back button to return to the previous screen. Click on the OK button at the top of the screen to return to the search

screen On the search screen type in the code (or paste in the code) It is possible to search with an abbreviated code followed by an

asterisk, e.g. 255* To search for more than one discipline, e.g. Computer Science OR

Communication Science, combine subject codes using the Boolean OR operator, e.g. 112* OR 012*

Click on ‘Search Now’

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Limit your search

Search ResultsStep 5: Search results display

The total number of records retrieved will appear in the middle of the screen followed by the display of search results. If more than one record is retrieved at a time, search results are displayed in the summary display, i.e. Table of results (default report). The default report display format shows the author, title and status of the research project. To view the full details of a single record at a time click on the More button, at the right side of the record. If only one record is retrieved, search result appears in Full display format. The full display format shows the following details: author, title, status of project, language, institution, subject, intention of the publication and an abstract. When a large search result is displayed, click on the next records button

to view the next record(s) or on the previous records button to view the previous record(s).

To change the search results display, click on the arrow next to Table of results (default report):

A drop-down menu will appear with the following options: Table of results (default report) Full display Full display without abstracts

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Step 6: Marking records

Click in the box on the right of the record to mark an item in the summary/default report format. To deselect an item, click in the box again.

To view full details of a single selected record, click on the More button (at the right side next to the record).

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Full display

View selected records

Go back to the previous display format

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Click on Display selected records

Click on Back to display

Retrieval OptionsStep 7: E-mail, print or save records

E-mail Type an e-mail address in the text box provided at the top of displayed

records. Type a message in the text box provided (optional). Provide your name as sender (optional). Click on ‘send results’.

Print or save To print or save, use the Web browser’s option. Click on File, and then select Print or Save As.

Step 8: New Search Click on Advanced search button at right of screen. Click on a relevant search option i.e. keyword search, title search, author

search, subject search and institution search.

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E-mail text box

Institution Search

Type relevant code for the subject (Click ‘Help’ to find institution code).

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Click on Institutions

Click on Help to find institutions’ codes

Highlight the relevant option

Highlight in the purpose text box whether the research is for Non-qualification, Master’s and Doctorates.

Scroll down and continue with steps 5, 6 & 7.

Step 9: Exiting Nexus To exit Nexus use the Web browser’s option. Click on File, then select close or exit.

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Click on search now

TIPS ON SEARCHING CURRENT AND COMPLETED RESEARCH PROJECTS

Please note: Read the instructions on the search screen properly.Find the discipline, subject and institution codes by clicking ‘Help’ button next to the relevant box. Do not click on ‘Search Now’ until prompted to do so. Use proximity operators: Boolean operators, wildcards and truncation where necessary.

Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOTProximity Operators: ADJ, NEAR, W/OTruncation: *Wildcard: ?

Examples on how to use Boolean Operators: separate phrases(Academic ADJ performance) AND (tertiary ADJ level)

Examples on how to use Proximity Operators: separate wordsAcademic ADJ performance Adjacent Academic W/O performance Within same OccurrenceAcademic W/1 performance Within One word from anotherAcademic W/S performance Within the same SentenceAcademic W/P performance Within the same Paragraph

Examples on how to use Truncation and Wildcard:

Symbol Example Find recordsTruncation * child* child, children,

childhoodWildcard ? organi?ation organisation,

organizations

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