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Oxford English Dictionary on CD-ROM


The User's Manual for the OED CD-ROM is located at the Information Center workstation.


Getting Started on OED


Online Help may be accessed by pressing 1 or clicking on HELP in the menu bar.


Types of
Searching


Word

Text

Item (etymology, definition, quotation)


To Begin Searching


Click on SEARCH in the menu bar.

Click on type of search (word, text or item)

Type the word or phrase in the box provided, click on FIND.


Search Window Options


FIND vs. FIND ALL

FIND will search on input in the active input box displaying the cursor.

FIND ALL combines and searches input in all boxes during an etymology or quotation search.

LIST

Displays alphabetical listing of all items available for searching in the selected category.


Truncation


The truncation symbols may be a prefix, infix or suffix of a word.

A question mark (?) represents a single character

An asterisk (*) represents multiple characters

Example: WOM?N will find woman or women.

EDUCAT* will find education, educator, educators, etc.

A question mark (?) with a space on either side represents a one-letter word.

An asterisk (*) with a space on either side represents a single word.


Proximity Operators


Proximity operators may be used in Free Text Searching to represent a word within a defined number of words from another set of words. Type the hash symbol followed by the number. Example: morning #5 coffee


Results Window


Results are NOT text files and cannot be edited or printed.

Saving Results

Results can be saved to a 3-1/2" floppy disk and then transferred to a VAX account or used with a microcomputer.

Select FILE from the menu bar.

Select SAVE from the Results Files box.

Type A:\filename R . The software adds the appropriate extension.

Comments (use to summarize search parameters)

With results file displayed, select Comment

Type comments and select Close (from command box in upper left corner)

Comments will always be associated with those results.


Display Window



To Save Results to a Text File


Select FILE from the menu bar.

Select OUTPUT TO TEXT .

Select filename from scroll box, add appropriate drive name, press R Example: A:\RESULT.ENT

Select text elements to be recorded.

Type the name of file into which the text will be written. The extension .TXT will automatically be added.


To
Exit


Select File in menu bar.

Select Exit

Click on OK.


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