There are no on-screen instructions for entering a search string. Instead, searchers must select View Operators or View Field Names which each bring up a browser window with a list of options. It would be helpful if these lists offered some examples of how to combine operators and field names or links to explanations of operators and field names. Help screens are available for advanced searching, search operators, and field names, but they are a bit labyrinthine for the novice searcher. Searching in IEL Online takes a bit of practice to get used to but is overall user-friendly.
Response time is quick.
Subject terms are amply assigned to articles. Locating journal or conference titles by keyword in the Search mode is an effective way of finding pertinent publications and subject terms and correct entries for conference titles. The Help screens in IEL Online are for the most part very easy to follow, with the exception of those mentioned above. The index of help topics is very thorough, although difficult to read because of the small and somewhat broken font. The Help browser window should be maximized to see the full contents.