Databases & Sources

LIBR 250, Section1Winter 2013 / Terrones

Learning outcomes:• Search the library OPAC, article databases, and

websites fluently.• Identify types of materials (journals, government

publications, books, websites) that may be used to complete the research.

• Examine and compare information found in books, articles, and websites, and evaluate for use.

Databases: Information “warehouses” that contain journal, magazine, newspaper articles, and other documents you can use for your university research assignments. Accessible from campus and off-campus!

Search Engines Vs. Databases … Which one should I use, when? http://bastyr.libguides.com/content.php?pid=384087&sid=3148399

Bastyr University Library tutorial http://bastyr.libguides.com/content.php?pid=384087&sid=3148399

“Being an efficient searcher means knowing when to use what tool. Most published research studies are protected by copyright and are not available in full text via the Web.” (Bastyr U. Library Tutorial, 2012)

Compare the DifferenceSearch Engines Library Databases

Contains news articles, current info on many topics, open authorship, & info that hasn't been formally published. Much of the access is free

*Use for a quick reference, and as a starting point or info gathering.

Contains published scholar research studies, journal articles (full text and/or article abstracts), theses and dissertations, conference proceedings. Paid subscription access.

*Use for college level research.

LMU Library,(2012) Why use the library? http://libguides.lmu.edu/content.php?pid=10084&sid=463217

Sources

Peer reviewed articles, magazines, newspapers, websites, reference sources… What’s the

difference?

SourcesReference

Background info, definitions, context, understanding concepts, statistics

Newspaper & Magazine articles

Current events, people stories, aimed for general audience, captures history

Scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles

Academic, scholarly, in-depth analysis, original research written by experts in the field, peer-reviewed articles, bibliographies

Books & DVDs

Background, historical context, and in-depth information about your topic, chapters on a topic

Searching Databases

Databases will look different but they contain similar features:

Advanced search boxesSave, Print, Email, Citing, Export to RefWorksLimit by Peer-Reviewed. Limit by Date Range. Click Find It! to get Full-Text articles.Evaluate your hits! Do they “fit?”

*Tip: Keyword searching > then use synonyms > then use subject headings to

Search boxes for entering keywords.

Print, save, email, export citation tools … most databases have these features.

Peer Reviewed: Professors often ask you to use scholarly (also called "peer-reviewed") articles. Peer-reviewed means the articles are academic and have been refereed by experts in the article’s field of study.

Boolean Search& key concepts

Peer Reviewedarticles

Do we have the article?

Evaluate ResultsExamine the first page of results.

Do any articles “fit” or relate to your topic?

Identify keywords or concepts from these articles to further narrow your search.

Try different searches and compare.

Think about your question. Does it need revision?

Article Availability

Do we have the article?

PDF & HTMLFull Text

Article Availability

Sometimes your article may be available in another database where you can get it in full-text.

When we do not have immediate access, you can request articles via Interlibrary Loan.

Sample Article

Tools Journal, Date, Volume, Pages

Title

Author(s)

Subject Terms

Do we have the article?

Is there a summary of the article? (Tip: Look for the Abstract.) If yes, read the abstract and write down information that can be useful in answering the research question.

Abstract