ENGL101 *Online Sections | 2. Search Library Databases

In this section, you'll find:

• Information on what databases are and what they can do for your research
• Suggested databases to search for your ENGL101 essays
• Tips for how to search library databases
• Advice on where to find more databases

A tool for finding information

A library database is a tool that collects and organizes information so that we can find it more easily. Databases contain records for articles from newspapers, magazines, trade journals, and academic journals, as well as records for other items such as videos, conference proceedings, dissertations, book chapters, and more. A database record contains citation information and may also point to the full text of the resource. Most databases will have the full-text for some items, but not for others. Some databases are entirely full-text; others have none at all. 

Databases can be general and cover many subjects or focus on specific subjects or types of resources. Deciding which database to search depends on what kind of research you’re doing.

• General databases cover many different subjects and contain many different kinds of resources. These are good databases to search when you’re starting your research or if your topic is interdisciplinary.
  • Examples: Academic Search Premier, Academic OneFile, and reference databases like Credo
• Subject-specific databases databases have more focused coverage on one or several subjects. These databases are useful when you’re looking for articles within a particular field or subject area.
  • Examples: CINAHL (nursing), PsycArticles (psychology), ERIC (education), and JSTOR (humanities subjects)
• Special format databases contain a specific type of resource. If you know you need a specific kind of source to support your arguments, these databases will be useful.
  • Examples: US Newsstream (news articles), EBSCO SWOT Analyses (SWOT analyses), or GPO Monthly Catalog (government reports and publications)

1. Choose your keywords and start a search.

Hopefully you have a list of keywords, or search terms, to get you started. Choose two or three to start with that cover the main ideas of your topic and enter them into a database. 

• Pro tip: Keep your keyword list handy and add to it as you search! Your search results will probably contain other relevant keywords that you didn't think of at first.

2. Skim your results list for relevant titles.

Look at article titles to see if they align with the kinds of information you thought you'd find about your topic. Do the titles relate to your topic? Do they help answer some of the keyword brainstorm questions on the Get Started page? Do they help you address what you need to in your essay?

3. Adjust your search as needed.

Sometimes, the first keywords we try give us results that are not relevant or unexpected. Adjust your search by trying other keywords in your list or by using the filters in the database.

You can also adjust by applying filters in the database that limit your results by date, by type of resource, and more.

For more search strategies that can help you create complex, focused searches, see:

Database Search Strategies

If you want to find more databases to try, check out the table below. It describes the two main ways to get to library databases, through our list of all databases and through other Research Guides: