What is a Database?
Databases vs. Google
Databases: are searchable collections of electronic articles, books, video, and audio that are not available free online.
Searching Databases
Don’t search databases with whole questions or phrases. Instead, use keywords to represent your research question.
Reading the Search Results
Item Database Records
For every item in the search results, you will see a record of important information about the item.
Reading the record will help you decide which sources to choose.
Is this source Scholarly?
Some articles in databases are from scholarly journals, and some are from news, professional, or popular periodicals.
Different assignments will require different types of articles.
▶️Watch a video about how to tell if an article is scholarly.
How to navigate different databases
Subject Terms
What are they?
- Each database has a unique set of standardized terms for different topics covered inside the database called subject terms (STs).
▶️Watch a video about STs vs. keywords
- Medical and life sciences databases will have MeSH terms, a special type of ST.
- STs are links. When you click on them, a new search will open with all the items assigned that same ST.
- If your topic does have an ST, you should use it in your search terms.
- Not every topic will have an ST.
Where do I find them?
- Inside individual item records.
2. In Search results, listed by how frequently they are used by items in the results.
Searching Multiple Databases at Once
- In Primo, you can search most of the library’s databases at once but there are fewer filter options than many databases.
Databases from the same provider (EBSCO or ProQuest) can be searched at the same time, or added to an existing search.
- Go to the provider’s list of all the databases available: EbscoHost or Proquest
- Choose the databases you would like to search together and click “continue” or “use selected databases” .
