.ISU LIBRARY BASICS: Databases

A database is a structured collection of records or data. A file cabinet of files and folders is a database. A spreadsheet of data is a database. A software program of searchable bibliographic library records is also a database and is more commonly thought of when the term "database" is used.

The ISU Library provides access to many electronic databases that are useful for research, study, and knowledge acquisition. Some are available for free to anyone but some are provided through a subscription paid by the Indiana State University Library.

Databases can be an efficient and effective way to search for information. Electronic databases use a search engine to simultaneously search, access, and retrieve relevant records from multiple journals and other sources within the database. Patrons enter into the search engine terms relevant to what they wants to know and the search engine retrieves records with those terms according to whatever rules were programmed into that search engine.

Different search engines work differently. They follow different rules for searching and ordering results. And different databases contain different records within them so it is useful to search more than one database if you are researching a topic thoroughly.

You need to evaluate each source you find. Some information is more credible than others. People may make mistakes or intentionally tell untruths. You must decide what to believe. Below are some criteria to consider when determining whether the information you find is accurate and credible.

• Responsibility: Who is responsible for the information?

   

  • URLs: If it is a Web site, what is the address (Uniform Resource Locator) of the site?

     

    • Top Level Domains:If it is a Web site, what is the domain (.edu, .org, .gov, etc.)?

       

    • .EDU:If it's a .edu page, is it a personal page or an official page?

       

  • About Us: What information can you find about the organization or authors?

     

• Authority: How do you know that the authors know what they're talking about? What credentials do they have?

   

• Purpose: What are the authors trying to do?

   

• Documentation: Are there references, notes, bibliographies, or other citations of information sources?

   

• Updates: When was the information distributed? Is it current? Does that matter to your topic? When was the last time it was checked?

   

After considering these factors, if you're still not sure, ask a professor or a librarian. Your disciplinary major may give you more criteria with which to evaluate sources.