For this query, perform a search on
a Dialog database that you feel is most appropriate for the search strategy
you choose. The client's search request is as follows:
How reliable are children as witnesses in court
cases on child abuse? Do they lie? Are they easily suggestible? Can their
testimony be trusted?
Begin by developing a fairly general query (avoid
specialized vocabulary) that you can submit as a DialIndex (File 411) search.
Do not spend too much time "playing" in File 411, but test the
likelihood that one of the following databases may prove fruitful by examining
the number of postings for your query:
File #
Database Name
1
ERIC
21
NCJRS
11
PsychINFO
150
Legal Resources Index
171
Criminal Justice Periodicals
Recall that you do not create sets in Dial Index;
it is used only to give you a cross-database comparison of posting figures
so that you can choose the database which appears to have the most potential.
Once you have made a selection, you should tailor your query to the appropriate
database, particularly after viewing some of the retrieved items.