On the next screen the defaulted databases, BSD, Biology Digest , and Plant Science are automatically pre-selected but this configuration can be changed using the CSA scripts. At this point, patrons may choose to de-select or add databases. Where applicable, a third element, a subject-specific thesaurus, is also available. The search interface for both quick and advanced searching uses a customized AltaVista search engine. The quick search option is simple to use and can be either a single word or a phrase.
Additional options are available for searching multiple terms.
Although an example of a truncated search is shown in the quick search option, this feature is not explained on the quick search help screen. In addition to truncated searching, other search features include wildcard symbols and proximity searching. Alternately, experienced users may elect to use the command-line search option. Saved searches are maintained for about six months and can be re-run or combined with other new or saved search strategies. The first option presents all CSA databases acquired via IDS and the second lists the specific databases under the subject area being searched.