1. Using Social Care Online: an overview
Version 1.0 March 2017

2. Overview content About Social Care Online
Key features of Social Care Online
Standard search
1. 0 Getting started
1.1 Results pages
1.2 Filtering search results
1.3 Full record example
Advanced search
2.0 Advanced search
2.1 Search screen
2.2 Single field search
2.3 Results pages
2.4 Multiple field search using AND
2.5 Single subject term search
2.6 Multiple field search using OR & AND
2.7 Export search results
2.8 Saved search
Further information and support

3. About Social Care Online
UK's largest online database of information on all aspects of social work and social care
Updated daily SCO contains over 150,000 records from the 1980s onwards
Includes: legislation, government documents, practice and guidance, systematic reviews, research briefings, UK grey (informally-published) literature, books, and journal articles
Full text resources and web links are provided where available
Free to use. Register/Login to use all SCO features

4. Key features of Social Care Online
Fast Google-type standard search
Advanced search
Saved searches
alerts
Updated daily
Free to use!
Register/Login to use all SCO’s features

5. Standard search 1.0 Getting started2 3
As you type, suggested topics /terms, titles, authors or publishers appear in the drop down list.
Select from the list or type your own search terms
Click on Search

6. 1.1 Results page Key features 1 7
Sort the results [Default is Relevance]
Advance through results pages
Identify resource type & full text availability
View full abstract, link to free resource if available & subject term search options
Go to full record details
Filter results [Requires registration or Login]
Use Search box to change or start a new search 5 2 3 4
Note: Search results can range from an exact match (most relevant)
to records containing all or some of your search terms
eg Care Act 2014 to Changes to care.…Children and Families Act 2014 6

7. 1.2 Filtering search results – Register/Login to use this feature
Click on filter link (in this case Free) to limit search results. More than one filter can be used to refine search results, but only one within each category eg Format types
Clear all filters or click on individual Filter link to remove it
Note: To search using more than one filter from each category use Advanced search 1

8. 1.3 Full record example
Note: Register/Login to view the full document

9. Advanced search 2.0 Getting started1 2
Click on Advanced search button to register or sign-in Or
2. Click on Register/sign-in button
Note: Social Care Online is free to search but to use
all of its features you will need a Social Care Institute
for Excellence (SCIE) account

10. 2.1 Search screen Key features Single field search
Drop down list of all fields
Add fields to build up complex searches
Combine search word or terms using AND, OR, NOT
Saved searches can be used to create & rerun complex searches & set up alerts
On screen search tips 5 6 1 2 4 3

11. 2.2 Single field search
From the drop down field list select a field eg Author
Type your search query eg Author surname and select from the drop down list
Click on Search 2 1 3

12. 2.3. Results page 6 5 1 2 3 4
Sort by Publication Year or Title [Default is Relevance]
Advance through results pages
Identify resource type & full text availability
View full record details
View and select records for export
Search result tools bar (Save searches, alerts)
Tip: Select your Sort by preferences
before reviewing and exporting your
results

13. 2.4. Multiple field search using AND1 4 3 6 5 7
From the drop down field list select a field eg Publisher
Type name of Publisher eg social care institute… & select from drop down list
Select another field from the drop down list eg Format type
Select Format type eg Digital media
Select another field from the drop down list eg Publication year
Type date range eg 2013 to 2015 (if one year only put same date in both boxes)
Click on Search

14. 2.5. Single subject term search1 3 4 6 5
From the drop down field list select Subject Term
Type search term eg adoption & select from drop down list
Broader, Narrower & Related terms can be included to build up a complex search strategy
View the term details for the Subject term
Select terms for inclusion in your search eg Narrower
Click on Search
Term details for 'adoption'
Broader terms social care
Narrower terms intercountry adoption,
open adoption, post adoption services,
transracial adoption
Related terms access to birth records,
adopted children, adoption agencies,
adoption allowance, adoption contact
registers, adoptive parents, birth parents,
permanency planning

15. 2.6. Multiple field search using OR & AND
Note: For multiple field searches Boolean operators must be use in the order OR, AND, NOT 6 2 1 4 3 5 7 8 9 10 11
Select field from drop down list eg Subject term - 2. Type adoption & select from list
Include narrower terms
Change Boolean operator to OR
Select field from from the drop down list eg Subject term & 6. Type adoption again
7. Include related terms
8. Change Boolean operator to AND
Select field from drop down list eg Content type &
Select Government publication 11. Click on Search

16. 2.7. Export search results Key features 1 3 2
Choice of export types [CSV, RIS, TXT, XML]
View abstract – click on ‘arrow’
Select All records for Export or use tick box to select individual records

17. 2.8. Saved searches Use Saved searches to: Rerun searches1
Use Saved searches to:
Rerun searches
Build complex searches
Set up alerts - weekly updates on content matching
your search
criteria. 2 3 4
Run Search eg “care act 2014” All fields
Name the search eg CA2014 [AF]
Save Search
Tick box to enable action menu

18. Further information and support
View our YouTube introductory video
See About pages
Give us your feedback
Go to Help pages
Contact us 2 5 4 2 1 5 3 4
Connect with us via Facebook or Twitter