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This is part 3 of the tutorial program- Please do part 2 before working through part 3. What is a database? Libraries usually use the word "database" to refer to indexes for all types of resources - for example: journals; newspapers; magazines; newsletters; books; conferences; statistics; government reports etc. etc. Basically, a database is a collection of records which you can search electronically to produce a list of citations (references) related to your project or assignment. Why do I need databases? Most research material is not available free on the internet. The Library subscribes to 100s of databases that index and/or provide full text to published research material. These databases have sophisticated search functionality that enable you to refine your results to those that are useful for your topic. You can access online material by searching the Library catalogue and clicking on the link to e-resource, then enter your University of Adelaide authentication. You can do this from any computers in the world that have an internet connection.
There are hundreds of databases available. Prior to the introduction of online databases indexes were produced in print format which can be found in the Library. See your Research Librarian if you are writing a thesis or major project requiring older information. How do I choose a database?A university assignment usually requires a discussion of several opposing views with critical analysis of examples from quality research articles. Finding good quality, relevant, academic articles is the foundation that underpins an A grade result. Research takes time so start as soon as possible to avoid rushing this important stage of your work.Some lecturers may insist that you select "Peer Reviewed" journal articles. Peer reviewed means that articles are checked by experts who verify the quality of the research before a publisher will include an article. Some large databases include most of the resources listed below, from a broad range of publishers and organizations, but some databases are restricted to material related to a particular country or region (eg: Australian - APA-FT), material from only one publisher (eg: Emerald) or a specific format such as Factiva (mainly newspapers) To produce a comprehensive report/essay you need to include information from a range of resources such as:
Where can I find the databases?There are several ways to find databases:
Others subject
areas
Before looking at this segment see the Tutorial page on generic Search Techniques Academic journal articlesA detailed description of the databases below, and access, can be found on the database web pages for: Economics and Business; Commerce . Help is also available on each database site. See several EbscoHost video demonstrations in the Search Technique tutorials to help you use the most important databases:-
Academic Onefile [by Thompson / Gale]
Other resources / newspaper, statistics, Australian etcA detailed description of the databases below, and access, can be found on the database web pages for: Economics and Business; Commerce . Help is also available on each database site.
APAIS [major Australian index by Informit] Australian Bureau of Statistics
Evaluating ResourcesReputable publishers protect their status by evaluating the quality, accuracy, reliability, authority and point of view, or bias, of material before publishing (print or online). When you search the internet you must protect your (or your employers) reputation by checking the reliability of information found on the internet. Anyone can easily produce web pages on any topic (Wikipedia is an example of this). Some basics to consider when evaluating information found on the internet:
In general we expect most education (.edu), government (.gov) and well respected organizations (.org) to produce reliable information. The main aim of a commercial (.com) site is to promote or sell and these websites should be carefully evaluated before using the information. Always reference all information found on the internet so that the reader of your report can make their own evaluation of the website. Advanced search - InternetWhen producing reports in the workplace, or at university, it is essential that only quality, accurate and up-to-date information is used. Obtain data only from reputable sites such as government (ie: .gov), education (ie: .edu) and recognized organizations or associations. There are many internet search engines (Yahoo, Alta Vista, ASK, Google, AOL etc) and their web pages have links to "Help" with search instructions. You will, no doubt, be aware of the enormous number of results retrieved when searching the internet. Learn about these advanced search functions to save you time by reducing results to relevant, up to date material. The Search techniques outlined in Part 2 of this Library Skills Tutorial are also applicable when searching the internet. The Google Advanced search screen guides you through a boolean search and includes a number of limits. See this demonstration :
Google Scholar is a large database covering a wide range of research resources but, generally, 6-12 months are embargoed (blocked) by most journal publishers. Some publishers do not put their journal content in Google Scholar. The Google Scholar link on the Library home page provides links to the Library's journal subscriptions. example:
Click on the "Advanced Scholar search" option. Updated: 22nd July, 2009, Bernadine Hardin |
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