1. Academic Information Service
African Healthline
opening
Academic Information Service

2. What you need to start On campus: Off campus:
Library registration (at library counter)
Network registration (at library counter)
Ask for training sessions if you still feel uncomfortable searching African Healthline
Off campus:
Library registration

3. Background
The premier collection of bibliographic databases on African health issues
Unique collection of sources including many from Africa and covering all aspects of African health issues.
Covering years since 1966
Quarterly updates
More than records

4. Down to search basics Boolean operators Truncation symbols
Searching words next to each other

5. BOOLEAN LOGIC AND / OR / NOT
AIDS
Education
Programmes
BOOELIAN LOGIC or

6. BOOLEAN LOGIC
AND
Education
Programmes
AIDS
AND
AND

7. BOOLEAN LOGIC
NOT
Not
Eductation
Programmes
AIDS
NOT

8. Truncation symbols
Use the * after the ROOT of the word to pick up different forms of the word
Eg:
Program*
To include:
Programmer
Programming
Programs

9. Searching words next to each other
Adjacent (adj)
Eg: AIDS adj education* adj program*

10. How do I access African Healthline
Go to the Health Science Library
Click on Health Databases

11. Click on African Healthline

13. Select database

15. Searching Title Field: words in article title
Keyword Field: broader search
Index Field: words as printed in article – can be very specific and limiting
NB: We recommend to start searching words/phrases in the title field

16. Searching words in title
Example demo search: (AIDS or Acquired adj Immunodeficiency adj Syndrome) and (Education* adj Program*)
Click on “search”
Type in search terms using Boolean logic and truncation

17. Total no of records retrieved
Search results
Total no of records retrieved
Back to Search Page

18. Select output for e-mail, save or print
Use dropdown menu to select output
Mark records individually or click button before or printing

19. Display format for browsing references
Use dropdown menu to select format

20. Narrow search down to “South Africa”
The phrase “south africa” must be searched in the “INDEX FIELD”
The “index field” is then automatically combined with the words/phrases searched in the “Title or Keyword Fields”
The different fields are automatically combined with the AND operator – invisible to the user

21. Title and Index fields combined
By adding “South Africa” in Index Field : 10 references retrieved
Click here to see references

23. Search using “Keyword Field” (Broader search)
42 refs now retrieved instead of 10
Keywords combined with Index

25. Type in search term and click on “index”
Search an index
Type in search term and click on “index”

26. terms and click on search
View index
Mark relevant
terms and click on search

27. Adjust blue bar to view results below
Fewer references : NB Not yet narrowed down to “South Africa”
Adjust blue bar to view results below

28. Select display/output format
Mapping term
Use dropdown menu to select and display

29. Mark your preferences for display and output format
Mark records before printing or or click on mark all at bottom of page

30. LOGOUT As we only have 5 simultaneous licences
Therefore on completion of search please click on LOGOUT
Click here to Logout

31. FEEL WELCOME TO ASK FOR HELP
Good luck!
Created by Myleen Oosthuizen and Anneline Viljoen
September 2006