Database Searching What is a database? - PowerPoint Presentation

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Database Searching

What is a database?

We refer to a “database” when researching topics.

By “database” we are referring to an “Online Subscription Database.”

A database is a place on the internet where you can search for information.

When you are a student, your school’s library usually pays for and provides the access to databases.

Why use a database instead of google?

The biggest difference between a database and the free web is that databases are not free. They are paid for by your school’s library because they offer valuable information which cannot be found anywhere else.

Contrary to popular belief,

not all (or even most)

of the information you need when researching a topic can be found on the free web.

Anything of quality or value is usually not given away for free, so most of the really valuable information that exists in the world will not be freely available on the free web.

This is the reason why you should use databases in addition to the free web, during research.

Although you may find excellent sources on the free web, most of the best quality information is only available in databases.

Which databases does GVHS Library provide?

We have many different databases. You can find just some on this slide.

You can find them all

here on our website.

At the top of the page you will see a link for “passwords.” Click that link and it will add our password list to your canvas catalog!

You can also find video tutorials for using each database

on this website!

Searching

Proquest

Issues Researcher

This database is one of the best databases for Government class research, current events research, and for when you are researching controversial topics.

I do not recommend starting with a “keyword” search.

Instead, start with a “browse” search by clicking “leading issues” and “all leading issues”

Choose A-Z (top right corner) and now you can easily browse through the topics in this database. If you find your topic, click on it!

After you click on your topic, it will take you to a “homepage” for the topic

At the top you will find a helpful brief “summary” of the topic.

Under that you’ll see the best part of the database. It takes your topic and splits it into two “sides” like a “pro-con.”

It gives you 3 articles that support one side of the issue, and 3 articles that support the other side of the issue.

You can also click “find more” for tons more articles

After you click “find more sources” the database will give you lots more articles

You can look on the left side of the page to see the different types of sources available. You can click on them to limit the types of results you get.

You can also limit by date in this area. This is helpful if you want to get more recent results.

Searching Gale Issues Databases

The Gale databases are excellent databases for government, current events, and controversial issue research.

When you go into one of the Gale databases, I do not recommend starting with a keyword search.

Instead, start with a browse search by clicking “browse issues”

On this page, browse the topics to find your topic. Once found, click on it!

You’ll notice that this provides a “home page” for your topic.

On this topic homepage you will first see a helpful “summary” article. A good place to start!

Under that you will see that all of the results this database has on this topic are neatly organized by source type.

You can choose a source type or just scroll down to browse through the results, just like you would on google.

Find a source that looks good? Click on it!

Once you find a good source, save & cite it!

Make sure you save and cite your source as soon as you find it!

You’ll see the buttons at the top of the screen for saving, citing, etc.

Need Help researching on databases?

See Miss Bogan in the library!