PubCrawler Configurator Instructions

1. Fill entry boxes with data and set boolean operators and search fields.
   For general info on query specification check out NCBI's PubMed Help and PubMed FAQ.
   
   
2. Replace alias with one or more suitable key words.
   
   
3. Press 'Submit'.
   
   
4. Use 'Modify' button to change the definition of a query.
   
   
5. Use 'Check' button to retrieve results directly from NCBI.
   WARNING: Might take long at peak times!
   
   
6. Press checkbox and 'Submit' button to delete query.
   
   
7. Press 'Submit' without any data entered to finish.
   
   
8. If you just want to view the configuration file press 'Modify' button to change PubCrawler options or 'Finish', accepting PubCrawlers default values.
   To create or modify a profile for WWW-PubCrawler, press the 'Store Profile' button. The next page will request for your user name and password and allows you to set PubCrawler specific parameters.
   NOTE: This is the only way to save your new configuration file on our server permanently!

Tips:

• It is highly recommended to specify an alias for each search. One main advantage is that if you slightly modify your queries the database will not be reinitialized. Without the use of an alias next time PubCrawler runs you would see all of the former hits again.
  
  
• A little graphic at the bottom of each page shows an overview of your current location in the PubCrawler Web. Clicking on it will bring you to a page which will help navigating through PubCrawler's Web pages.
  
  
• There is no precedence amongst the boolean operators. A note on the Entrez Help Page at NCBI says:
  Boolean Expressions are normally processed left to right. If you wish part of your boolean expression to be processed out of order, enclose it in parentheses.
  
  
• Simple connections with boolean operators are possible within a box for query terms. Using OR, AND, BUTNOT (in capital letters) inbetween two terms will lead automatically to an expansion of the search field to each term and linking with the according operator. Even simple nested connections (with brackets) should work.
  
  
• Instead of creating a very long query that contains many OR operators, split it up into several shorter ones with the same alias.
  
  
• To extend an existing query, click the 'Modify' button. This will give you two additional boxes to enter search strings.
  
  
• To shorten a query, click the 'Modify' button, delete the first two search terms that you want to remove and submit again. All following terms will be deleted, too.
  
  
• To change the order of the queries, use the 'Modify' button. The selected search term will be taken out of the list of queries to enable modification. After resubmission, it is appended to the end of the query list.