JumpStart FAQs  

JumpStart is a "discovery service" that lets you search the Dickinson Library catalog and many of our online databases simultaneously.

Click the logo at left to access JumpStart, or read below to learn more about it.

What am I searching when I use JumpStart?

JumpStart searches our entire catalog and over half of our databases.

Which databases are included and which are not?

JumpStart includes JSTOR, Academic Search Complete, MLA, Historical Abstracts, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and more than 150 others. For the complete list, see Databases in JumpStart.

Some significant exclusions are WorldCat, Literature Criticism Online, Historical Newspapers (Proquest), and Biological Abstracts. For a complete list of the databases not included, see Databases not in JumpStart.

What does JumpStart help me do?

• Begin research on an unfamiliar topic.
• Get started when you don't know which database to choose.
• Conduct interdisciplinary research.
• Search multiple databases simultaneously.
• Quickly locate a specific journal article when you already have the citation.

When is it better to use an individual database instead of JumpStart?

• To take advantage of special functions (for instance, the “times cited” feature in Web of Science, or the ability to limit by historical time period in Historical Abstracts).
• To get results from one subject-specific database only.
• To expand your search beyond databases in JumpStart.

When is it necessary to use the library catalog rather than JumpStart?

• To look up library items on reserve by professor, course number or name.
• To check your account or renew items.

How can I quickly learn more about how to use JumpStart?

• Try it! Play with all the options to refine your search and limit your results.
• Check out our top five tips for using JumpStart.
• Ask a librarian. Contact a reference librarian or ask at the Circulation desk.

Feedback

We welcome any comments or questions about JumpStart. You can submit your comments via e-mail to Library@dickinson.edu, or via our Suggestions and Comments form.