What is the best way to find table records in WebDewey? 

There are several ways to do this, depending on the type of information you are seeking.  If you are searching for a term that is likely to generate a large number of results, such as "research" (T1--072) or "France" (T2--44), browsing the Relative Index is often the best approach, because it allows you to see index entries that begin with the term, accompanied by their Dewey numbers.  These index entries point to the main numbers for the term.  But be sure you choose to browse the Relative Index and not to browse LCSH: Very few LCSH have been editorially mapped to table numbers, and no LCSH have been statistically mapped to them.  Of course, if the LCSH you are seeking has been editorially mapped to a table number, e.g. Alagon River (Spain), to T2--4626, you will find it by browsing LCSH. 

If the term is unusual and thus will generate few results, searching All Fields is a useful approach, e.g., search for "wagga" to find the Table 2 number for Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.  If the term is likely to generate a lot of results, it is advisable to narrow the search (e.g., limit a search for the Table 2 number for Japan to the Captions index instead of searching All Fields).  When there is a long list of results, the table number will appear toward the end of the list. 

To search or browse for a specific table number that you know, type the letter "t" (omitting the quotation marks), followed by the number (or number and letter) of the table, two hyphens (--), and then the rest of the number.  For example:

t2--71
t3c--351

If you are searching, you can omit one or both of the hyphens; but if you are browsing, you must type both hyphens. 

Finally, you can click "Tables" from the Search or Browse screen or from any full record display to navigate the tables hierarchy from the top down.  However, this is not the most efficient approach if your topic is located deep in the hierarchy. 

Last revised: 31 January 2004