Copyright © 2004 ProQuest Information and Learning Last Updated 02/02

SIRS Discoverer on the WebInterface for SIRS Discoverer & Discoverer WebFind Databases

discoverer.sirs.com

About SIRS Discoverer

• SIRS Discoverer® is an award-winning database designed with the young researcher in mind. This interactive tool strengthens research, reading, writing and computer skills. Articles and graphics from more than 1,600 U.S. and international magazines, newspapers and U.S. government documents are carefully selected for their educational content, interest and level of readability. Because it includes middle and elementary curriculum topics, Discoverer can be easily integrated into classroom activities.

About Discoverer WebFind

• Discoverer WebFind™ is a dynamically updated database of carefully chosen global Websites for researchers in grades 1-9. Each Website is carefully evaluated for its research value, high interest, credibility, age appropriateness and reliability before being added to the database. Sites are monitored for changes by SIRS' sophisticated software.

How Can I Utilize SIRS in My Library or Classroom?

• Research Papers

• Persuasive Speeches

• Debate Team Research

• Current Events Discussions

• Consult Primary Source Materials

• Analyze Statistical Data

• Supplement Outdated Textbooks

• Create Reading Lists

• Provide Pathfinders

• Curriculum Integration

• Homework Help

• Download Photographs, Graphics, Maps, Charts and more!

What’s Inside• Editor's Top Picks• Activities • Biographies• Country Facts• Careers• Fiction• Holidays• Photo Essays• Pictures• Maps of the World• Suggested Research Topics

Editor's Top Picks

• Articles, Websites and images are regularly selected by the SIRS research team, a group composed of more than 40 professionals with diverse educational backgrounds, to be featured as a Discoverer's Top Pick and WebFind’s Top Pick.

Activities

• Activities provides a shortcut to full-text articles and Websites that include activities such as, science experiments, craft projects, writing activities and more!

• Activities are marked with a label in the article results list to make them easy to identify within a search result.

Biographies• SIRS Discoverer includes

nearly 2000 full-text biographies of famous and notable people are available including every United States President in all three Reading levels.

Walt Disney (1901-1966)

• Discoverer WebFind features hundreds of Web sites with biographical information on Artists, Scientists, Inventors Historical Figures and more!

Country Facts• Country Facts are articles

with information on nearly 200 countries, including printable maps, flags, population statistics, government information, languages spoken, economic data and history. Many countries also have links to Culture Facts.

• In addition, profiles and graphics are included for every U.S. State and Canadian Province.

Careers

• Hundreds of articles and Websites detail and explore the many careers available from the Arts & Sciences to Sports & the Military and beyond.

Fiction

• From Historical Fiction to Myths & Fairytales, SIRS Discoverer and Discoverer WebFind provide hundreds of articles, Websites and E-books to suit every interest.

Imp and the Woman

Holidays

• Hundreds of articles and Websites representing dozens of holidays and celebrations from around the world include activities and provide historical foundations and cultural awareness.

Photo Essays

• Photo Essays portray social issues and global concepts.

• Each topic consists of several essays containing photographs, maps, or other graphic elements along with a brief informative text.

Pictures

• Keyword Search or Browse for Pictures using an Alphabetical Index.

• Over 10,000 high-quality pictures accompany full-text articles. Pictures include photographs, illustrations, maps, charts and more!

• Send pictures as e-mail attachments or save to disk for use in multimedia presentations.

Cartwheel Galaxy Anatomy

Maps of the World

• Over 500 detailed, printable maps are available as an online reference almanac. The maps include each of the 50 United States, the provinces and territories of Canada, as well as nations and regions of the world. It also includes U.S. Historical, World Historical and Outline Maps.

Suggested Research Topics

Research ideas in SIRS Discoverer and Discoverer WebFind help kids start researching right away!

– Born this Month: biographies of notable people

– Holidays & Celebrations:explore world cultures

– Monthly Challenge Quest: pathfinders aid information literacy

– Suggested Research Topics:links showcase research strategies

Reference Databases

• Current Events• Spotlight of the Month• The 2004 World Almanac® for Kids• Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia®

The World Almanac for Kids 2004. Copyright © 2003 by World Almanac Education Group, Inc.Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia Copyright © 2003 by World Almanac Education Group, Inc.

Current Events

• Current Events is dynamically updated with full-text articles and graphics from SIRS Discoverer which have been selected to encourage research and awareness of current events.

Spotlight of the Month

• Spotlight of the Month features a new topic each month covering timely issues selected from the SIRS Discoverer & Discoverer WebFind databases encouraging further research.

• Preview the upcoming spotlight for lesson planning, or review the archive from the previous year.

World AlmanacThe World Almanac® for Kids provides information on a variety of topics including people, countries, animals, the environment, and history.

• Search or Browse a Table of Contents

• View Maps and other related graphics

The World Almanac for Kids 2004. Copyright © 2003 by World Almanac Education Group, Inc.

Encyclopedia

• Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia® is a multi-volume, nine million word encyclopedia with 26,000 articles. Articles cover the natural world, science, history, places, people, ideas, and culture.

• Search or Browse an Alphabetical listing.

Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia Copyright © 2003by World Almanac Education Group, Inc.

Search Methods• The main database contains thousands of full-text

articles and graphics from hundreds of publications. To locate information, choose one of three search methods:

• Subject Tree SearchSubject Tree Search

• Keyword SearchKeyword Search

• Subject Headings SearchSubject Headings Search

Subject Tree Search

• Locate articles through 15 broad category buttons that are further divided into narrower topics and subtopics or  “branches” creating a subject tree.  

• This search method is useful when you have a general subject in mind and allows you to explore many different fields without limiting you to predetermined topics.

Subject Tree Search (cont.)

• Topics appear in each category and may be followed by article or Web site titles.

• An < indicates the branch has been expanded. Select the branch to return to that level of the tree.

• An > indicates there are additional levels beyond this branch in the tree.

Keyword Search

• Boolean operatorsAND, OR, NOT

• Truncationfarm* -> farmers, farming

• Phrase Searching“affirmative action”

• Natural LanguageIs there life on other planets?

• Reading Level SelectorsEasy, Moderate, Challenging

• Article SortingRelevance or Date

Advanced Keyword Search

• Additional search fields available, search by Title or Author or together in conjunction with Full-Text.

• Find articles from the SIRS Discoverer full-text database, the Almanac & the Encyclopedia in a single search.

Subject Headings Search

• Use the Subject Headings search method when you have a specific research topic in mind. Articles are indexed primarily according to Library of Congress subject headings.

Search Results

• Search results are returned with easy to understand icons and tools that aid in selecting the perfect article.

1. Source & Summary2. Article or Website Title3. Subjects4. Pictures5. Article Labels

a - Activity f - Fiction p - People

6. Source/Publisher 7. Date8. Size

Source Tabs

• Colorful tabs have been added to help students narrow down search results and determine which articles are from newspaper or magazine sources.

• A search box at the bottom of the results page enable users to modify a search without having to start over.

Source & Summary

• Source information accompanies every full-text article and Website.

• Summaries are written by SIRS staff to help students determine what the article or site is about.

Full-Text Articles

• 100% Full-Text• Keyword bolding of

search terms• Article Reading Levels• In-line pictures support

the reading.• Links to related articles• E-mail articles and

Pictures home.• Print for reading or

reference.

Websites• Selected by subject

specialists to ensure age appropriateness, credibility and reliability.

• Continually monitored for content changes.

• Source, Summary and Descriptor information aids in determining content.

• Supports curriculum through assigned Reading Levels, Topics and Subjects.

Reading Levels

• Articles and sites are assigned a reading level according to the Flesch Reading Ease scale.

• Limit searches to include articles or Websites of a single reading level or in any combination.

Easy (grades 1-4)

General (all grades)

Moderate (grades 5-7)

Challenging (grades 8+)

Subjects

• Subjects are words or phrases based on Library of Congress subject headings that describe what an article is about and link to related articles.

• All articles and Websites are hand-indexed to ensure relevant results.

Pictures

• The Camera icon signifies that there are one or more pictures available. Select the icon to view a list.

• In addition many full-text articles include inline thumbnail images – select the thumbnail to see the full size picture.

Article Labels

a - Designates the article contains an activity.

f - Designates the article is a work of fiction.

p - Designates the article contains biographical information about a person.

E-mail

• Users may e-mail full-text articles and pictures from SIRS Discoverer to their personal e-mail addresses right from the article display.

Print

• A Print button displays at the top of each article allowing quick and easy access to the print dialog box of the browser.

Further Help & Reference• Dictionary &Thesaurus • Help Index• Search Tips• How to Cite• Workbooks• Educator’s Guides• Librarian’s Corner

• SIRS educational and training materials help libraries meet the funding criteria for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act by providing a means for testing student achievement and highlighting performance improvement strategies with student research worksheets.

• In addition, SIRS provides links to State Standards in our Web Resource Center

Dictionary & Thesaurus

• Merriam-Webster's® Abridged Dictionary & Thesaurus are available to assist users in defining words, checking spelling, choosing the perfect word and more!

Copyright ©2000 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Made in the United States of America.

Help Index

• Context-sensitive help provides detailed instructions on locating articles and using database features.

• SIRS Discoverer's help may be searched by keyword or table of contents. All database keywords are indexed for easy reference.

Search Tips

• Search tips are provided in a handy reference sheet that can be viewed or printed.

• Review meanings, search syntax and examples.

Topics include:– Selecting the right

search method

– Using Boolean operators

– Truncation

– Phrase searching

– Article sorting

– and more!

How to Cite

• How to Cite provides descriptions and real examples on how to cite using the Modern Language Association Format (MLA) and the American Psychological Association Format (APA).

Workbooks

• The workbooks contain exercises that help users master SIRS search methods.– Primary School Edition,

targeting grades 1-5– Middle School Edition,

targeting grades 6-8

• Educator’s Guides• Research Strategy

Worksheets• Available in PDF and HTML

formats

Librarian’s Corner

– What's New

– E-mail Bulletins

– Source List & Directory of Publications

– System Administrator Options

– Frequently Asked Questions

– Reference Toolbox

– Educator’s Guides

– Library Promotional Materials

– Links to Web Resources for Teachers & Librarians and more!

• Librarian's Corner includes a collection of materials designed to help librarians and library patrons.

• Access Librarian's Corner anywhere in SIRS Discoverer or SIRS Discoverer WebFind from a link provided in the footer of every page.