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OneSearch Help

Use OneSearch to find articles, books, media, and more:

  • The search platform that supports OneSearch has transitioned to Primo (ExLibris)

  • OneSearch now integrates more fully library research databases and the former Library Catalog

  • Sign in with your UHCL username and password to renew materials, request items from other UH campuses, and pin favorite items

Because UH libraries are making frequent adjustments to the new platform, the instructions in this guide may temporarily be inconsistent with what you see in your searches.
Please contact us with any questions or concerns at 281-283-3910 (more options at Ask a Librarian).

OneSearch Tips

Enter your search terms, and select a desired category:

  • Everything -- most library resources, both online (UHCL) and physical (UHCL, UH, and UHD)
  • UHCL Books and Media -- Neumann Library and Pearland Library's books, ebooks, and physical and digital media
  • All UH Books and Media -- UH, UHCL, and UHD physical books, DVDs, and CDs
  • Articles -- peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper articles, and more
  • Course Reserves -- searchable by course or instructor
  • Institutional Respository @ UHCL -- digitized scholarship and creative works produced and owned by the UHCL community, including graduate student theses and dissertations (until further notice, be sure to search the repository for theses and dissertations written after 2018)

Simple search example

When searching Everything or Articles, natural language often works well.

Examples:

  • how climate change affects polar bears
  • how to motivate people to exercise

For Books and Media, keywords or short, common phrases usually work better. Use quotation marks for an "exact phrase."

Examples:

  • "climate change" "polar bears"
  • motivation exercise

You also can search a digital object identifier (DOI) or  International  Standard Book Number (ISBN) for a known item.

Examples:

  • 10.1007/s00442-017-3839-y
  • 0838987753

For more complex searches like (climate change OR global warming) AND polar bears, use Advanced Search.

Once you have a set of results, select and apply relevant filters (e.g., peer-reviewed journals, available online, etc.) on the left of the screen.

If desired, use the search menu to change your category (Everything, UHCL Books and Media, Articles, etc.).

Select and then apply filters on the left to narrow your results:

  • Sort by -- relevance, date-newest, date-oldest, title, or author
  • Availability -- available online, peer-reviewed journals, open access, or held by library
  • Resource Type -- articles, books, reference entries, newspaper articles, videos, etc.
  • Creation Date -- set desired range; then click Refine
  • Library -- UH Clear Lake/Neumann Library, UH Clear Lake/Pearland Library, UH/MD Anderson Library, etc.
  • Location -- general collection, juvenile collection, US gov documents, etc.
  • Subject -- controlled vocabulary topic terms
  • and more -- Author/Creator, Language, New Records, and Genre

Shows options available on left of screen to tweak results and search box option to revise content searched

To retain an active filter throughout your session:

  • Mouse over it until a padlock appears
  • Click on the padlock to make the filter persistent

Shows active filter and available padlock for peer-reviewed journals

To turn off a persistent filter, click again on the padlock, not on reset.

Shows padlock for peer-reviewed journals with an X over reset

Sample article record with full text:

For items with online full text, click either the record title or Available Online to proceed to full text. Action icons also are provided for sources citing this record, sources cited in this record, a draft citation (MLA, APA, Chicago, or Harvard style), permalink, pinning to favorites, and more.

Shows links to full record and task icons

The detailed record pop-up includes access to full text sources (e.g., SAGE) and export actions. Use Export RIS to export a record to EndNote desktop version. Use the EndNote icon to export to EndNote Web. Use the arrows on the left to navigate to previous or next records or the X to close the detailed record and return to the browse screen.

Shows full text source, EndNote action icons, and navigation options

 

If full text is not provided, sign in under "How to get it" for a link to UHCL's ILLiad Interlibrary Loan service where you can submit an article request.

Shows sign in and UHCL interlibrary loan links as described above

 

Sample book record:

Detailed records for books include a Sign In prompt to Request an item from another campus library. In the Request pop-up you'll specify a pick-up location. A "not needed after" date and any comments are optional. You'll receive an email to your UHCL account when the item is ready for pickup.

Shows detailed book record and sign-in prompt for requests

Advanced Search offers many options for creating precise results:

  • Fields -- title, author/creator, subject, ISSN (international standard serial number), and user tags
  • Term conditions -- contains, is (exact), or starts with
  • Material type -- journals, books, articles, images, sound recordings, video/film, and more
  • Logical operators -- AND, OR, NOT
  • Language
  • Date range

Sample search for videos on the subject of climate or global warming, while also finding the exact phrase polar bears:   

Shows advanced search options for material type, field, and term conditions

 

Sample search for books by author Nathaniel Hawthorne:

Shows advanced search options for material type, field, and term conditions

Be aware that some ebook records lack the author/creator field. If you're not finding a work by a particular author, try using "any field."

Sign in with your UHCL username and password to:

  • See your current loans, due dates, and to renew materials
  • See the status of requests you have placed
  • View items you have pinned as favorites
  • View your search history

Shows sign in option on top right of screen

Once signed in, click the down arrow to the right of your name, and select a menu option such as My Loans:

Shows menu options available after signing in (my account, my loans, etc.)

The menu option My Account provides an overview as shown below, which includes access to your loan information as well as any requests, fines or fees, blocks or messages, and personal details:

Shows options to view loans, requests, any fines or fees, any blocks or messages, and personal details

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