Database Searching: How to Find Journal

Articles?

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Edit by: Dr. Mostafa HassninLibrary and Information Technology

Mass Communication and Information Science Dept.

Ft_mostafa@qu.edu.qa

I. Understanding Online Databases

What are online databases?

Online databases are Web-based electronic indexes that enable you to locate and retrieve articles in magazines, journals and newspapers.

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Multidisciplinary (Comprehensive) vs. Subject Specific

Database coverage may be comprehensive e.g., Academic Search Premier , or on a particular subject, e.g., ABI/Inform Global.

Full text vs. Citation only

A database may contain full text articles or only citations.

Types of Databases —

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II. Finding the Right Database(s) for Your Research Topic

What databases are available from the Library?

Which databases are comprehensive and may be the best place to start searching?

http://www.qu.edu.qa/home/libraries/ejournals.htmhttp://www.qu.edu.qa/home/libraries/ejournals.htmWhich specialized database is appropriate for my subject-oriented

research?

http://www.qu.edu.qa/home/libraries/edatabase.htmhttp://www.qu.edu.qa/home/libraries/edatabase.htm

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What databases are available from the Library?

The library subscribes to a number of online databases which cover various subjects. Remote access allows you to search off campus.

Click By Title or By Subject or By Provider on the Library Homepage to get a database list with descriptions and access information.

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Which databases are comprehensive?

Academic Search Premier ,

Wilson Omni File &

InfoTrac OneFile*

Why should you start with one of the above ? They cover nearly all subject areas or disciplines. They provide a large number of full-text journal articles. They let you limit your search to scholarly journals.

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4601

3529

2137

3742

1868

67054

9308

5162

2552334

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Number of Periodicals

premier OmniFile InfoTracOneFile

Databases

EmbragoePeer ReviewedFull TextIndexed

Which specialized database is appropriate for my subject-oriented research?

You may select a specialized database from the list By Subject.

When you browse the list and select an online database, consider the following questions: Which database covers my research subject?  Can I get full text articles?   Can I limit the search to scholarly journal articles? What other sources are available ? 

For example:

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You are doing research on an Business topic:

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Electronic Database

Database Subject Web Address

ABI/Inform Global

Business/Economics proquest.umi.com/login

ABI/Inform Global

Business/Economics proquest.umi.com/login

Helecon Scima Economics helecon.hkkk.fi/?&lang=eng

Engineering Village2(Compendex & Inspec)

Engineering www.engineeringvillage2.org

IEEEXPLORE Engineering ioj.iee.org.uk

ABI/INFORM Global Offer the most current peer reviewed

titles More image content offering complete

access to important charts, graphs, tables.

Deep Backfile to 86 with median title starting in 93.

Gale Business Resource Ctr ABI includes over 300 active full titles

not available from Gale As with the unique indexing offered by

Gale, much of its unique full text is news, trade and industry content.

Ebsco Business Source Premier

ABI offers full text for nearly 300 titles not available from Ebsco.

As with the unique indexing offered by Ebsco, much of its unique full text is news, trade and industry content.

Shallow file starting in 90 with median title starting in 95.

Business Periodical Full Text

Based on Title List as of January 2001

ABI Global Gale Bus.Resource

Center

Ebsco Bus.SourcePremier

269

35

3891176

236

279

48

590

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200All Full Text Periodicals

Peer Reviewed Embargo PeerOther Embargo Other

Gale Title Lists do not identify Embargo or peer reviewed Titles

III. Locating & Retrieving Relevant Articles

Each database has its own search interface and capabilities. Many of the basic search concepts and features are similar:

Keyword searching Limiters Boolean operators

What are some common searching problems and solutions?

Where can you find more assistance for some of the library’s databases?

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Keyword Searching

Keyword searching is the easiest search method, but may be less precise.

Databases collect, sort and present information according to FIELDS (which are usually found in a dropdown menu), such as:

Author Title of article Subject Publication name

To make your search more specific, you may select one or more fields to do keyword search.

To expand your search, you may search for keyword(s) in All basic or Default fields.

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Limiters

Limiters are database functions that let you narrow your search results.

Database limiters may include: Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Publication year Full text Language, etc.

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Boolean Operator: AND

AND links words or phrases that must both appear in the same article.

If you what to focus your search results, use Boolean operator AND to connect additional word(s)

Example: computer and teaching -- finds both computer and teaching anywhere in the same article.

 

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Boolean Operator: OR

OR links synonyms, alternative forms of expression, acronyms, and so on.

If you want to expand your search, use Boolean operator OR to connect additional word(s).

Example: first grade or elementary school -- finds either first grade or elementary school in the same article.

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Proximity SearchesYou can use a proximity search to search for two or more words that occur within a specified number of words (or fewer) of each other in the databases. Proximity searching is used with a keyword or Boolean search.

The proximity operators are composed of a letter (N or W) and a number (to specify the number of words). The proximity operator is placed between the words that are to be searched, as follows:

         Near Operator (N) - N5 finds the words if they are within five words of one another regardless of the order in which they appear.

For example, type tax N5 reform to find results that would match tax reform as well as reform of income tax.

         Within Operator (W) - In the following example, W8 finds the words if they are within eight words of one another and in the order in which you entered them.

For example, type tax W8 reform to find results that would match tax reform but would not match reform of income tax.

Common Searching Problems & Solutions (I)

1. Citation list is too long Narrow your search using additional terms

connected by AND; Limit your search by limiter functions; Try to find the official descriptor or subject

heading that matches your keyword(s) in the thesaurus or subject index provided by the database.

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Common Searching Problems & Solutions (II)

2. No citations Check the spelling of your search terms; Eliminate one or more of your search terms; Don’t fill in every empty text box or drop-down menu choice; Try to find the official descriptor or subject heading that

matches your topic; Make sure appropriate database is used; Call (???) to ask a reference librarian for assistance.

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InfoTrac OneFile vs. the Competition COMPARIS

ON INFOTRAC ONEFILE EBSCO ACADEMIC SEARCH

PREMIER PLATFORM/ INTERFACE

InfoTrac EBSCOHOST A single user interface for all products

SEARCH CAPABILITIES

Search Modes: Subject Guide Relevance Key word Advanced

Limits: Date (mmddyyyy) Full-text Publication Refereed (peer- reviewed) Phrase search - yes Field search - yes Search by publication title - yes Chronological results - yes Date specific searches - yes Boolean search - yes Full-text limit - yes Truncation - yes

Search Modes: Subject Natural language Keyword Advanced Expert

Limits: Date Full-text Publication Peer-reviewed

Search techniques

Click for the instruction on searching Academic Search Premier of EBSCOHost.

Click for the instruction on InfoTrac

OneFile.

Click for the instruction on ABI/Inform

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• ebrary database

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/qataru

have more than 60,000 online, full-text books.

• NetLibrary Database

http://www.netlibrary.com/

More than 100,000 titles and hundreds of global publishers

http://www.netlibrary.com/Search/AdvancedSearch.asp

All sources of information that you use in your research must be cited, including information found on the Web. 

Your may require that you use a specific style guide to cite sources in your research papers, footnotes, and bibliographies.

Style Manuals

• APA Style (American Psychological Association)

• Chicago Style (University of Chicago Press)

• IEEE Standards Style (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

• IEEE Standards Style (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

• MLA (Modern Language Association)

Below are links to sample citations using standard basic style guides

• Format :  Author.  "Article title."  Journal Title  Volume (Date): Pages.  Database.  Vendor.  Date of access.  <URL for database.>

• Example:  Lehrer, Eli.  "Cities Combat Violent Crime." Insight on the News  15 (July 19, 1999): 14.   Expanded Academic Index ASAP.  Gale Group.  October, 5, 1999.  http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/iastu_main

• Format:   "Title of article." Title of Source.  Version or Edition.  Date of Update.  Publisher.  Date of Access.  URL.

• Example:  "Civil Rights Movement."  Encyclopædia Britannica Online.  Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.  October 5,1999 http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=84948&sctn=1

• Format:  Title.  Author.  Date.  Name of database.  Date of Access.  URL.

• Example:  Annual Report on School Safety, 1998.  U.S. Department of Education.  October 1998.  Congressional Information Service, Inc. American Statistics Index.  October 6,1999.  http://web.lexis-nexis.com/statuniv/

• Format:  Page Title.  Author.  Date of Last Update.  Sponsor.  Date of Access.  URL.

• Example: Institute for Information Literacy.  Mary Jane Petrowski.  August 3, 2000.  Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL).  October 15, 2000.  http://www.ala.org/acrl/nili/nilihp.html

http://pinetlibrary.com/citationmachine.net/index.php?mode=form&g=6&list=nonprint&cm=13

1. There are interactive web tools which helps teachers and students produce reference citations. Includes MLA and APA formats.

http://www.easybib.com/