PROPRIETARY MATERIALS

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2 PROPRIETARY MATERIALS No use of these proprietary materials is permitted without the express written consent of or license from Thomson Reuters. Altering, copying, distributing or reproducing any of these proprietary materials in any manner is expressly prohibited. DISCLAIMERS The scenarios, examples, and content within this course are used strictly for instructional purposes only. Thomson Reuters shall not be responsible for any liability directly or indirectly resulting from any outcomes or conclusions drawn from individual research discussed during the class. In response to IRS Circular 230 requirements, Thomson Reuters advises that any discussions of federal tax issues in its publications and products or in third-party publications and products on its platforms are not intended to be used and may not be used to avoid any penalties under the Internal Revenue Code, or to promote, market, or recommend any transaction or subject addressed therein. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT The right to use the software product described in this workbook is specifically conditioned upon your execution of and compliance with a Tax Software and Services Agreement with Thomson Reuters. All contents on this site are copyright 2008, Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

3 OnPoint Federal Starting the Program. To start the OnPoint System, open the RIA Group folder and select the Thomson Reuters product you want to launch. Select OnPoint Federal. OnPoint opens on the Home screen:

4 Folio Views Window. From the Home screen, select Browse a table of contents to access the Folio Views window. The Folio Views window opens in two panes: the Infobase pane on the left and the Contents pane on the right. 2

5 OnPoint Toolbar. The OnPoint toolbar is at the top of the Folio Views window: The 15 toolbar buttons have the following functions and keyboard shortcuts: The Print button opens the Print dialog window so that you can print selected text. The keyboard shortcut for the Print button is Ctrl+P. The Tag Record button tags (or untags) a record to mark it for printing or saving. This button is available only when the cursor is located in the Documents pane. The keyboard shortcut for the Tag Record button is Ctrl+T. The Copy button copies selected text to the Windows Clipboard for saving to another application. This button is active only in the Documents pane. The keyboard shortcut for the Copy button is Ctrl+C. The Expand Entire Table of Contents button expands the view in the Contents pane to show all headings and subheadings. This button is active only in the Contents pane. The keyboard shortcut for the Expand Entire Table of Contents button is Ctrl+A. The Words Around Hits button displays the neighboring words on both sides of each hit, or keyword, from your search in the Contents pane or in the Hit List pane. This button is available only after you have performed a search. No shortcut is available for the Words Around Hits button. When you are obtaining search results, the Records with Hits button toggles your view in every pane between displaying all records and displaying only Records with Hits. The keyboard shortcut for the Records with Hits button is Ctrl+R. 3

6 The Search button opens the Search screen so that you can begin a search. The keyboard shortcut for the Search button is F2. The Search Wizard button displays the Search Wizard screen, which gets you started by providing guidance for your research. The keyboard shortcut for the Search Wizard button is Ctrl+F2. The Go Back to Previous Link button moves you back through previous links and searches. This button is active only when you have executed links or performed a search. The keyboard shortcut for the Go Back to Previous Link button is F8. The Go Forward to Next Link button moves you forward through your sequence of previous links and searches. This button is available only after you have used the Back to Previous Link button. The keyboard shortcut for the Go Forward to Next Link button is F7. The Previous Keyword button displays in the Documents pane the previous keyword found by your search. This button is available only after you have performed a search. The keyboard shortcut for the Previous Keyword button is F4. The Next Keyword button displays in the Documents pane the next keyword found by your search. This button is available only after you have performed a search. The keyboard shortcut for the Next Keyword button is F3. The Previous Record with Keywords button takes you to the beginning of the previous record that contains a keyword. The keyboard shortcut for the Previous Record with Keywords button is F6. The Next Record with Keywords button takes you to the next record that contains a keyword. The keyboard shortcut for the Next Record with Keywords button is F5. The Go to Home Screen button reopens the Home screen. The keyboard shortcut for the Go to Home Screen button is F10. 4

7 Additional Keyboard Shortcuts In addition to the keyboard shortcuts for the buttons on the toolbar, the OnPoint System has the following shortcut keys: For Export to File, use Ctrl+S. To Exit, use Ctrl+X. To Zoom, use Ctrl+Z. To Expand to Level, use Ctrl+L. To Clear Search Results, use Ctrl+F2. To Refresh a window, use Ctrl+I. To Switch to Next View, use F11. To Switch to Previous View, use Shift+F11. Expanding the Table of Contents On the Folio Views window, when you select an item from the Table of Contents in the left pane, the contents of that item open in the right pane. You can select the plus sign next to any item in the right pane to expand its contents. 5

8 Documents Pane. In the Contents pane, when you select a document, the Documents pane opens and displays the document you selected. You can scroll to read the contents to the end of the document. 6

9 Contents & Docs Tab. At the top of the Folio Views window, six tabs appear directly below the OnPoint toolbar: If you select the Contents & Docs tab, OnPoint displays the document you just opened in the right half of the screen. The Infobase pane appears above the Contents pane on the left side of the window. All three panes are displayed simultaneously: Note: By displaying a box around the chapter title in the Contents pane (see arrow above), OnPoint helps you keep track of where you are as you scroll through the chapters of your document in the Documents pane. 7

10 Folio Views Tabs. Following is a description of the six tabs that appear below the toolbar at the top of the Folio Views window: Contents Tab. Use the Contents pane to scan the headings containing results from your search, just as you would when you browse through the Table of Contents. Documents Tab. The text of the infobase you are currently viewing appears in the Documents pane. Hit List Tab. Unlike the Contents pane, the Hit List pane displays results as a list of documents alone. This means that you can use this tab to view your search results without having to navigate through a table of contents. Contents & Docs Tab. The Contents & Docs tab includes the Contents pane and the Documents pane side by side, making scanning your search results easier. Therefore, whenever you use the Search screen to perform a keyword, phrase, or proximity search, your search results appear by default in the Contents & Docs tab. Hit List & Docs Tab. The Hit List contains features that make viewing natural language search results easier. Therefore, whenever you perform a natural language search and select View, your results appear by default on the Hit List & Docs tab. Note: You can use a natural language search to describe a complex search topic freely, without having to restrict your search to a few exact keywords. Graphics Tab. Some infobases contain graphics that you can view in the Graphics pane. Whether you have graphical elements depends on the product and infobases you subscribe to. 8

11 How Do I Use the Search Wizard? Step 1. OnPoint s Search Wizard will help you refine your search. Select the Search Wizard icon on the toolbar, or select Search Wizard from the Home screen. Step 2. The Search Wizard screen opens. Click Next to open the Where to Search screen. 9

12 Step 3. Select any of the infobase check boxes to search. Then click Next to display the Search Words screen. Notes: To search every infobase in an infobase folder, every infobase must be checked. To check every infobase automatically, select the check box next to the infobase folder. If you ever need to backtrack through the Search Wizard, select Back at the bottom of any Search Wizard screen. 10

13 Step 4. Type some search words in the Search words field. In the I want to search area of the screen, select one of the radio buttons as your search type: Keyword: All the words in any order Phrase: Words as an exact phrase Proximity: Words within 5 words of each other Step 5. Click Next. 11

14 Step 6. On the Search Wizard screen, an Infobase pane displays a list of the infobases searched and the number of hits per infobase. Select an infobase in the Infobase pane and click View Results. Your search results will appear in the Documents pane on the Folio Views window. 12

15 Available OnPoint Search Methods. Keyword searching uses every individual word that you enter in any order, anywhere in the same record. You can also use search connectors and wildcard characters. The keyword search is the default search method for the OnPoint System. Phrase searching treats all of the search words that you type as a single, exact phrase and not as individual words. Use Proximity searching to define how far apart keywords can appear from each other and still be found. The words can appear in any order. Use Natural Language searching whenever you are interested in finding records that deal with a particular concept but do not require all of the words to appear in order for a record to be relevant. (OnPoint retrieves the 50 most relevant records.) With the Applying Word Variations feature, you can broaden your search automatically by searching for variations of the words you type. For example, by automatically searching for variations of the word retire, your search would find retire, retired, retires, and retiring. To apply word variations, select the box next to Automatically finds variations of words. Search Connectors. To find documents containing either one word or another, use the following word as the connector: OR. Example: reimbursement or proceeds. To find documents containing one word but not another, use the following word as the connector: NOT. Example: paper not electronic. Wildcard Characters. To search for a range of word endings, use an asterisk. Example: bene* finds bene, benefit, benefits, benefited, benefiting, beneficial, and so forth. To search for a single character, use a question mark. Example: sol?m?n finds soliman, solomon, solimen, and so forth. To search for alternative word forms, use the percentage sign. Example: run% finds ran, run, runs, running, and so on. To search for synonyms, use a dollar sign. Example: child$ finds child, children, youth, boy, girl, and so on. 13

16 How Do I Perform a Keyword Search? Step 1. To perform a keyword search, first select the Search icon on the toolbar. Note: Alternatively, you can begin your search by clicking F2, or select Conduct a search from the Home screen. Step 2. From the Where to Search tab on the Search screen, select any of the infobase check boxes to search. Step 3. In the Search For field, type one or more keywords, along with any optional search connectors or wildcards. 14

17 Step 4. To narrow your search to portions of an infobase, select Tools and Options on the main menu. Step 5. On the Options screen, click the Search tab and select the Show check box. Step 6. Click OK. 15

18 Step 7. A Contents of pane displays on the right. Select a file icon next to any of the available infobases in the left pane to populate the contents. In the following example, the icon next to Analysis: Federal Tax Coordinator was selected, and its contents now appear in the right pane: Step 8. Next, select the Search Options tab to change search and view options. 16

19 How to Search The How to Search area on the Search Options tab has the following options: Keyword: All of the words, no strict order, and the connectors are optional. Phrase: All of the words as an exact phrase. Proximity: All of the words within so many words of each other. Natural Language: One or more of the words ranked by relevance. How to View the Results The How to View the Results area at the bottom of the Search Options tab has the following options: On the Search Options tab, if you select In a Contents & Docs display, OnPoint presents your search results on the Contents & Docs tab. If you select the Fully expanded check box, OnPoint displays all levels of the contents, which will then become the default method for your viewing results. If you select In a Hit List & Docs display, OnPoint presents your search results on the Hit List & Docs tab. 17

20 Step 9. After you have specified your search and viewing options, click Search to see your search results. Note: The search results appear in the Results list. To the right of the Results list, the Results Tree provides details for the infobase highlighted in the Results list. 18

21 Step 10. Click View to open the Contents & Docs window, which displays the documents you were searching for. 19

22 How Do I Perform a Template Search? Before beginning a search, decide if you want to conduct a keyword search from the Search screen or with the Search Wizard or if you want to retrieve a specific document from Templates. A template search in the OnPoint System has five steps: Step 1. Select Search on the toolbar, press F2, or select Conduct a search from the Home screen. Step 2. The Search screen opens. Select Templates to open the Templates screen. Note: If you want to use a citation to locate a document, a template search is the fastest way to search by citation. If you do not have a specific citation, try performing a keyword search from the Search screen. 20

23 Step 3. The Templates screen displays a list of infobases. Select an infobase to search. Step 4. Available templates appear in the Templates for pane on the right. Select a template for your search.. Step 5. Click OK. 21

24 Step 6. The Search template is displayed. Type some search criteria in the Section or Sections field. Your search results appear in the Results Tree (in this example, 5 records with hits). Note: You can enter some optional search words in the Keywords field. Step 7. Click OK to obtain your search results, which will appear in the Documents pane on the Contents & Docs window. 22

25 How Do I Reuse a Search? You can reuse the data that you entered from a previous search: Step 1. Click the Search button on the toolbar to reopen the Search screen. 23

26 Step 2. From the Search For drop-down menu, make a selection from the list of previous searches. Step 3. The remaining steps for your search are the same: Change your search and viewing options on the Where to Search and Search Options tabs. Then click Search to display your results in the Folio Views window. 24

27 Navigate Through the Search Results on the Contents & Docs Tab Viewing your Documents on the Contents & Docs Tab After you complete a search, you can view your results on the Contents & Docs tab of the Folio Views window. OnPoint displays three panes the Infobase pane above the Contents pane on the left side of the window and the Documents pane on the right side of the window: 25

28 In the InfoBase Pane: To open another infobase and view search results instead of recalling the Search screen, you can highlight a document in the Infobase pane. 26

29 In the Contents Pane: You have several options In the Contents pane: To display subheadings containing search hits, click a plus sign. To view the text of your results in the Documents pane, select a heading. To toggle between records with keywords or between all records in the infobase, select Records with Hits on the toolbar. (Icon is circled above.) To scroll through the headings, use the scroll bar, or press the Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Page Up, or Page Down keys. 27

30 In the Documents Pane: To scroll through the text in the Documents pane, use the scroll bar, or press Page Up or Page Down. Additionally, you can use several of the toolbar buttons described on pages 3-4 of this guide to navigate through the Documents pane. Note: When OnPoint displays your search results in the Documents pane, it highlights all of the keywords that you included in your search. 28

31 Navigate Through the Search Results in the Hit List & Docs Tab Hit List & Docs Tab By default, all search results appear on the Contents & Docs tab. To view only a list of records with hits, select Hit List & Docs on the Search Options tab to make this view the new default. 29

32 Viewing your Documents on the Hit List & Docs Tab. Using the Hit List & Docs tab is the best way to view Natural Language searches because search results are ranked in order of relevance. On this tab, the Hit List pane replaces the Contents pane at the bottom left of the window. A colored Rank Bar in the Hit List pane (see red arrow below) is a visual clue as to which documents are the most relevant to your search. The longer the bar, the more relevant it is to the search. Note: You can also use the Hit List & Docs tab to view keyword, phrase, and proximity searches. However, for these types of searches, the Rank Bar does not display in the Hit List pane. 30

33 Words Around Hits Feature. To see more of the text surrounding your highlighted keywords, click the Words Around Hits button on the toolbar. To turn this feature off, click the Words Around Hits button again. Display Numerical Ranking: Instead of displaying the Rank Bar in the Hit List pane, you can display a numerical ranking, that is, the total number of hits for each keyword. Select Tools and Options on the main menu. On the Options screen, select the Hit List tab. In the Display rank scores area, select Numerically instead of Graphically. Then click OK to change the display. 31

34 Viewing Only Hit List Titles. To display just the titles of the records with hits without the Documents pane information, select the Hit List tab. 32

35 Mark Records for Printing or Saving In the OnPoint System, you can mark the records you want to print or save to a file: Step 1. Scroll through the text of the document until you locate a record to print or save. Step 2. Place your cursor in the record and click the Tag Record button on the toolbar. 33

36 Step 3. A red bar appears to the left of the record to indicate that it is tagged. Only what is tagged will be printed or saved. Note: To untag a selection, simply click the Tag Record button again. Step 4. To copy the tagged record, click the Copy icon on the toolbar, or click Ctrl+C. Then paste the tagged record where you want it. 34

37 Save Text to a File Step 1. To save text to a file in the OnPoint System, first select File and then Export to file from the main menu. (The shortcut is Ctrl+S.) The Export screen opens: Step 2. From the Save in drop-down menu, select a destination for exporting the file. Step 3. Type a file name. Step 4. Select the appropriate file type. Step 5. From the Export range drop-down menu, indicate the type of records to export. Step 6. Click Export. 35

38 Print Records Step 1. To print records in the OnPoint System, select the Print button on the toolbar. Step 2. The Print screen opens. To print a document, tagged record, table of contents, or hit list, select the appropriate tab and make your print selections. Step 3. To change your print options, select Properties. Step 4. Finally, click OK to print your selected documents. Note: The Print Tagged tab does not appear on the Print screen unless you have tagged files on the Folio Views window. You can print tagged records from more than one infobase at a time: On the Print Tagged tab, select the check boxes next to any infobases from which to print all tagged records. 36

39 Add Reference Information to Printouts Step 1. To add reference information to printouts in the OnPoint System, first select Tools and Options on the main menu to display the Options dialog screen. 37

40 Step 2. Select the Print tab. Step 3. In the Show panel, select the check box next to Inline headings. Step 4. Click OK. Step 5. Follow the previous instructions for printing. 38

41 Print a Table of Contents or a Hit List Step 1. To print a Table of Contents or a Hit List, first select the Print button on the toolbar. Step 2. The Print dialog screen appears. Select the Print TOC tab to bring it forward. 39

42 Step 3. On the Print TOC tab, select the check boxes next to the Table of Contents entries you want to print. Step 4. Or you can select the Print Hit List tab to print the entire Hit List. Step 5. Click OK to print either the Table of Contents or the Hit List. 40