ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 23, 2004 - ProQuest Information and Learning is only weeks away from the launch of an updated version of the award-winning ProQuest® online information service, set for mid-July. ProQuest Information and Learning, a unit of ProQuest Company, creates and publishes databases for libraries and educational institutions worldwide.

Many new features will be part of the release.   ProQuest Smart Search will be welcomed by novice and sophisticated searchers alike. It will tap into ProQuest’s powerful indexing to analyze a user’s search, and then offer suggestions for related topics and publications at the top of the results screen.  The same technology will enable users to browse topics in most ProQuest databases.  Users will also be able to email multiple articles in a single email from ProQuest; email My Research Summary, a highly refined version of the marked list feature; and email formatted bibliographies. 

Users will experience extended browsing and index searching for more databases, thanks to the new infrastructure of ProQuest® Smart Search.  Advanced tools such as Topic Guides, the Browse Topics tab, and browsable index-term lists are already available in ABI/INFORM® Global and ProQuest Research Library^TM.  These tools make it easy for users to construct queries and narrow research topics using ProQuest’s renowned controlled vocabularies for subjects, companies or organizations, locations, and people.  Now, these same tools will be available in many more ProQuest databases.

The new release also adds enhanced ProQuest CrossLinks^TM, allowing users to link seamlessly from their results list into a link-resolver service and view the full-text of the article from wherever it may be found in the library’s holdings or in external holdings the library may be able to access.  ProQuest CrossLinks supports the use of a static URL to access resources or it can dynamically create URLs based on article-level information.

A “What’s New” link on the main search page is already available to provide information on interface enhancements coming to the product, as well as links to documentation, screen shots, and feature previews.  Many more new features will be part of the July release. 

The new interface will be available on every proprietary ProQuest product.  To learn more, sign up for the ProQuest Newsline e-newsletter:  http://il.proquest.com/pqnext/newsubscribe.shtml.  A demonstration of the new interface, and complete descriptions and guides for its many features, are also available on the ProQuest website: Take the ProQuest interface web tour.

The July release will augment several changes launched in March:

• Effortless automatic sizing for printing large articles in ProQuest Historical Newspapers with a single-click “Print” button option.
• Print Bibliography enhancements offers appropriate citation formatting for different publication types and citation styles.
• Custom interface profiles for Snapshots, Hoover's Company Information, and OxResearch^TM, providing custom search fields and limiters when each is searched alone.
• A custom thesaurus has been added for the Diversity databases providing easy access to the subject terms that relate to these products’ content.
• A new Select Databases option allows users to select all cross-searchable databases with a single mouse click.

As in previous releases of ProQuest, all of the enhancements were developed to help professional and novice researchers accomplish their research goals quickly with pinpoint accuracy.  Still, it has a familiar look which will make the transition from old to new easy for users.

Free trials of ProQuest products are available. Libraries may receive more information by contacting their account representative at 1-800-521-0600, ext. 3183 or 3452 (outside the U.S., call +44-1-223-215-512) or pqsales@il.proquest.com. Editors may call 1-800-521-0600, ext. 6489 or email pr@il.proquest.com.

 

About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich's™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.

More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.

For more information, visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, www.cig.com.