Laney College Library Ann Buchalter, MLIS Wong WR5, FA10

What is a database? 1.A database is an organized collection of information, usually pertaining to a particular subject. 2.They are highly organized & searchable to help people easily find the information they need. 3.Think of databases as huge electronic filing systems.

1.The most common types of databases found in college libraries are the online catalog (used to find books) and journal article databases. 2.Academic databases contain articles published in journals, magazines, newspapers and other information sources. 3.The are considered Academic because they help you locate quality, COLLEGE APPROPRIATE information that is relevant to your topic. Academic Databases

Tips for Database Searching  Few Words--no sentences—2 to 3 words will be most effective. Examples: Instead of raising animals for food, try: *** Omit “stop” words such as a, an, to, the, of, for, etc. animal husbandrydairy farming livestockstockyards

Let’s explore Academic OneFile Need some keywords? Start with BROWSE SUBJECTS OR You can right to the Search box and enter your keywords

Type your topic keywords in the box and click Food To find YOUR subtopic, click on RELATED SUBJECTS

To narrow further, find a similar term & click on RELATED SUBJECTS again Click on the + sign to see what types of topics are in included in the subject term. OR Click on the Term to see the articles associated with that term

Title of Article Title of Magazine Author# of Pages Click on the TITLE of ARTICLE to see article and options for saving, printing, and ing The words in red are the keywords you clicked on

Now it’s your turn: You can access academic databases from the Library Website

We will start with

Other Helpful Databases: Need more for background information? 1) Start with –World Book Online Reference Center 2) Then Try: i. CQ Researcher (controversial issues) ii. Opposing Viewpoints (arguments on different sides of a topic) iii. Salem Health (medical info)

Databases with more journal, magazine or news articles: Depending on your topic you may also want to look in: a) Green File b) Lexis-Nexis