WilsonWeb OmniFile

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What is WilsonWeb OmniFile

Covering topics including current events, art, technology, literature, and business, OmniFile provides you with the full content of magazine and journal articles. Even though the database is accessed online, the articles are digitized copies of regular journals like Time and Newsweek, so they can be used in research papers.

Searching WilsonWeb OmniFile

When you log onto the database you will automatically be taken to the “Advanced Search” screen. To begin your search just click in the “FIND” box and type in a word or phrase about the topic for which you are looking. Hit the “Start” button and OmniFile will try to find any articles that include the word or words you typed. Or you can use some of the more advanced features to refine your search so you control where and how OmniFile searches for your terms.

Using multiple terms

Linking multiple terms can help narrow down your results. Just type each term into one of the three FIND boxes. OmniFile will now find articles that include all those terms.

AND, OR, and NOT

You can also use the “and” menu to narrow or expand your search. “And” is the default. It will require BOTH terms to be in any record found. “Or” will require EITHER term be in any record found. “Not” will require that the second term NOT be in any record found.

For example you are interested in articles about Ronald Reagan’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. You could search for “Ronald Reagan” AND “Alzheimers” to get records that list both of these terms. Or, you could make the search broader by searching for “Ronald Reagan” OR “Alzheimers” to get records that list either of these terms.

as:

When you pull down the “as:” menu you’ll notice a list of field names. Selecting a field, limits your search to only that field. You can select a different “as:” field for each term. For example you only want articles from the New Yorker, select “Journal Name”

Dates and Types

You can limit the dates of the entries, the type of article (review, etc.), or even the subject areas by using the options at the bottom of the search screen.

Viewing the Results

Your list of results provide you with the author, title, and source of the article. There are a number of ways to sort through them.

• Click on the Title to get more information about the article including a short summary. Once you do so, you’ll see that the entire list is now being displayed this way. Click on the “Full Text HTML” at the top of the citation to view the entire article.
• You can also click in the checkbox next to the entry. Once you have checked off all the titles in which you are interested click “Get Marked” in the bottom navigation bar. Now, the results page will feature only those articles you’ve chosen.
• If you want to read the articles as you go through them, just click on the “Full Text HTML” beneath the citation.
• At the top of the main results page you’ll see a series of links after the word “Subjects.” Click on one of them to limit your results only to articles that also have this subject.

Reading the Full Article

Once you have clicked on “Full Text HTML,” you can either read the full article online, print it out, email it to yourself, or save it. Just choose the corresponding button.

Citing The Sources

If you are using the articles in a research paper make sure to cite them properly. You’ll need to take note of the information about both the specific article and the electronic resource you used to read it. Make sure to note the: Author, Article Title, Journal/Magazine, Volume, Issue, and Date, Pages, and information about the resource you used. Example:

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