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..DATABASES: Home

One stop shop to learn about the variety of databases available to ISU

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Advanced Database Searching: Introduction

Intro

9:45

Research assistance

17:00

Academic Search Complete database

33:45

Interlibrary Loan

38:45

Change databases; set Limits

47:18

Subject headings [MeSH, etc.]

51:38

Another search term; change databases

59:23

Ebscohost folders

1:01:39

Databases list

1:02:36

Library homepage to Subject [Research] Guides

1:05:07

Google Scholar

1:11:10

Looking up Journal when you find citation in GS

Advanced Database Searching: Video

coming soon

About 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.

Electronic databases use a search engine to access and retrieve relevant records. The patron enters into the search engine terms relevant to what he 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. 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.

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