Don't limit yourself only to astronomy and physics databases. Think! If your topic is in organic chemistry or biochemistry, perhaps the biology databases will have information for you. If your topic is chemistry-related, check the chemistry databases, too. If your topic is health related, check the health databases. If you're investigating the chemical industry, check the business databases, too.
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. 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.
Think! Your topic may be interdisciplinary. A variety of science databases may contain articles on your topic. If your topic concerns life in space, perhaps the biology databases will have information for you. If your topic is in physical chemistry, check the physics or geoscience databases. If your topic is health related, check the health databases. If you're investigating the space industry, check the business databases, too.
Science Databases from the Indiana State University Library
