Many libraries have what is known as the “20-minute rule:” If after twenty minutes you cannot find the information you want in a particular database, it’s time to ask a librarian for help.This section deals with searching library databases.
What is a library database?
A library database is searchable electronic catalog or index that contains information about published items.
What types of items are indexed by library databases?
- Journals/Magazines
- Books
- Documents
- Newspapers
What types of information do library databases provide?
Library databases provide citation information about the items they index. A citation typically consists of:
- Author
- Title of Article
- Source (Title of Publication)
- Publisher
- Date of Publication
- Page numbers (for journals)
- Subject headings
Some library databases provide abstracts of the items they index. Abstracts are summaries provided by the author or database publisher.
Many library databases provide the full text (entire article) of some of the items they index. Sometimes photos, graphs, charts, and figures from full text articles are omitted, but most databases will indicate this. Full text articles are available on either or both of these formats:
PDF files. These are the actual scanned pages of the original journal articles complete with pictures, graphs, etc. These files are actually graphics and are slower to download and print.
HTML files. This format is faster to download and print, but the articles may not include pictures, charts, graphs, etc. HTML files may be saved as text files or word processing documents for later manipulation.
How do library databases differ in what they cover?
Specialized databases index materials for a single academic discipline, e.g. PsychINFO. Other databases index items from many subject areas. If you're not sure which database to choose, Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost) is a good place to start.
A Lesson in Database Searching
Create A Search Strategy
Put your research idea in the form of a question or good statement.
Let’s say this is your assignment: “Find recent information on the role of the nurse in breast cancer care.”
If you type in that whole thing on the search line, you will have a big mess on your hands, so let’s try to pick out the important words or terms.
Breast cancer
Nursing
Nursing role
Create A Search Statement
Now we are ready to put our important terms into a statement that can be searched by the computer. Most databases have an advanced search feature that lets you combine the terms in your search strategy with words like AND, OR, or NOT. These words are known by the impressive name “Boolean Operators.” We can take our search strategy and, using the Boolean Operators, create a search statement.
nursing AND breast cancer or
breast cancer AND nursing care
Many databases have thesauruses and subject guides. Use them—they are most helpful and will save you time and multiple problems.
NOTE: Some databases do not let you use Boolean operators such as AND. The AND is understood and is not needed. Always consult the help file of a particular database.
Here’s some more advice: if you find an article that is exactly what you want, look at the subject headings in the citation and use one of these headings for your search.
If you have difficulty finding articles in a database, ask a librarian for help.
These are the basics of good search construction. It is a technique that can be used in any database including Internet search engines; you may need to make a few adaptations depending on the format of the database. Each database has its own variations, so be sure and read the instructions for that particular database. |