All students are strongly encouraged to use MathScinet. The range of subjects covered in it is very wide. It includes all the areas of interest of members of any math, applied math or mathematical sciences department. It provides an access to Mathematical Reviews and Current Mathematical Publications from 1940 to the present.
To access MathSciNet go, using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, to Web Page of AMS: www.ams.org. Next click on "MathScNet", which appears in the menu at the top of that page. You will be presented with options of a search. Click on "full search" or "basic search" . Now you may search by author's name or by a title (not necessarily complete). That gives you a list of publications of a given person or on a given topic. You may see the abstracts of selected from that list papers and their reviews (if they already exist) by marking square boxes to the left of author's name and clicking the "Retrieve" button.
If you want to save or get a printout of that what you see on the screen, when connected to MathSciNet, use the available options of Netscape or Internet Explorer.
However what you see on the screen is by default in HTML format. If the author's name, the title, abstract or review contain non English characters, math symbols for instance, to see them as they are supposed to be seen, you have to switch from HTML to PDF or PS format .
If you are at page listing the publications, click "PDF" button, by a paper that interests you. It will work if you have installed Acrobat Reader. To see more abstracts, mark the corresponding square boxes and select the format "PDF" or "PS", before clicking the "Retrieve" button. The menu of available formats is to the left of the "Retrieve" button.
If you have installed GhostView you may switch from HTML to PostScript format, using the mentioned above menu of formats. This time GhostView instead of Acrobat Reader will be called and you will see abstracts of selected papers in their original form. At the time of viewing the abstracts by means of Acrobat or GhostView, you may print them out or save to a file using available options of those programs.
You may also retrieve an abstract of a chosen paper in a DVI format. DVI files are relatively short. You can preview them and print by means of programs which accompany a package of programs for Tex or Latex. A commercial package Scientific Work Place contains a program called True Tex Previewer which will do that automatically.
It is possible, in theory, to get a copy of original paper through MathSciNet. If you are at the page displaying an abstract click the "Document Delivery" button for details. (Our department did not buy that option) Less expensive way is to write to the author. If you are at the page displaying an abstract, click on the link to the address that appears, if it is provided, to the right of author's. name.
Acrobat Reader and GhostView are widely available freeware programs.
You may learn more about MathSciNet features, by clicking the button About MathSciNet appearing on the first MathSciNet page.