What is a database?
A database is a searchable collection of information. In library research, a database is where you find journal articles. Each database contains thousands of articles which you can search for simultaneously and quickly to find articles with higher relevancy than searching in individual journals.
Databases:
- Can include journals, newspapers, magazines, reports, newsletters and more
- Sometimes includes books, but if you want books specifically, use the library catalogue
- Can focus on one subject or be multidisciplinary
- Often give you full text; others show only the abstract and citation
- You can print, save, or email citations and, if available, the full-text article (in pdf format)
- Might look different but have similar functions, like limiting to only peer-reviewed journals or searching by date
- Check a database's help page for tips May only contain a certain date range (you might miss some content)
- Sometimes leave out article images; if you need to see an important photo or diagram, you will need to find the article in print
- Can be used off campus, if you login with your campus-wide username and password
- Are also called subscription databases, online databases, article databases, and electronic resources
Relevant Databases
- Credo Reference
A reliable scholarly alternative to Wikipedia. Credo Reference contains encyclopedias, subject-specific dictionaries, atlases and handbooks - Film & TV Literature Index with Full Text
Full-text articles from over 120 journals and 100 books on film & television theory, preservation and restoration, screenwriting, production, and cinematography. Includes Variety movie reviews from 1914 to the present and images from the MPTV Image Archive. - JSTOR
Full-text articles from 2,000 scholarly journals, books and primary resources spanning the arts, humanities, general science and social sciences. - Oxford English Dictionary
This online dictionary is the authoritative guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of over half a million words, both present and past. - Oxford Reference Online: Premium
A scholarly alternative to Wikipedia. Definitions and explanations from over 175 general and subject-specific dictionaries, encyclopedias and handbooks. - Project MUSE - Premium Collection
Full-text to 600 scholarly journals and 550 books covering literature and criticism, history, performing arts, cultural studies, education, philosophy, political science, gender studies, and more.
