Databases -What Are They?
Library databases are searchable collections of records of articles, books, book chapters, conference papers, etc. on a variety of topics. Some articles & books are full text.
The library pays a lot of money to subscribe to these databases and most of the articles found in them are not available for free on the internet.
Some of these articles may be found through doing a Google search, but commonly there will be a monetary cost to get them. The full text articles found in our databases are free to library users and to faculty, students & staff from off campus.
So searching library databases isn’t the same as searching the web for articles on your topic. And when searching, try more than one database to expand your results!
Find It Button
WHAT DOES THAT CUTE LITTLE FIND IT BUTTON DO, ANYWAY?
It's a bit like magic, really. The Find It button does three things:
1) Checks our databases to see if the document you want is available full-text in another of our databases. If so, it links you to it!
2) Links you to the library catalog when we have the item you want in print or microform.
3) Links you to ILLiad (interlibrary loan) so you can borrow the item from another library if we don't have access electronically or in print listed in our SU Catalog
The Find It button is YOUR FRIEND!!!
STEP BY STEP GUIDE FOR SEARCHING FOR ARTICLES
Click on the following link to access a Step by Step Guide on how to search for an article in one of our databases
DATABASES
- Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO)Academic Search Ultimate offers access to an unprecedented collection of resources including journals, magazines, reports, books, and videos. Many are peer-reviewed and full-text. Subjects range from astronomy to zoology.
- J-STORMultidisciplinary database including the collections for Arts & Sciences I, II, III, ... some articles are in foreign languages. Most articles are full text and considered to be scholarly. Definitely worth a look!
________________________________ - Art and Architecture Complete (EBSCO)Art & Architecture Complete provides full-text coverage of 380 periodicals and more than 220 books. In addition, this database offers cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for more than 780 academic journals, magazines and trade publications, as well as for over 230 books. Art & Architecture Complete also provides selective coverage for 70 additional publications and an Image Collection of over 63,000 images provided by Picture Desk and others.
- ARTstorRepository of hundreds of thousands of digital images, from across many periods and cultures. Architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, design, and other forms of visual culture are represented. Provides tools to actively use images for scholarship, teaching, and learning.
- CIAO - Columbia International Affairs OnlineMostly full-text database which publishes a wide range of scholarship including working papers from research institutes, occasional paper series from NGOS, policy briefs, case studies, conference proceedings & papers, course packs, book chapters & journal articles.
- Humanities International Complete (EBSCO)Humanities database including literature and foreign language articles. Many articles are full text. (EBSCO database)
- KANOPY -Streaming Video - German StudiesKanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that provides access to more than 26,000 films each year. Kanopy works directly with filmmakers and film distribution companies to offer award-winning collections including titles from PBS, BBC, Criterion Collection, Media Education Foundation and more. The arts, sciences, social sciences, documentaries, global studies and languages are all represented. Chrome and Firefox are recommended browsers for viewing films from the Kanopy database.
- Literature Resource CenterLiterature database - Good for author biographies and criticism on written works ... some non U.S. authors. Well structured database includes: Biographies, literary criticism, links to primary sources, when available, and more. (GALE database - this cannot be combined with EBSCO databases. it must be searched separately,)
- Masterfile Premier (EBSCO)rovides abstracts and indexing for 2,650 general periodicals. Full text of articles for nearly 2,000 periodicals, and 5,000 full text Magill Book Reviews.
- MLA International Bibliography (EBSCO)A database of the Modern Language Association with criticism on written works...some links to articles on non U.S. authors.(EBSCO database)
- Nexis UniMultidisplinary database - Includes INTERNATIONAL NEWS, government information, statistics, business, and legal sources - many articles are short and the articles are not in PDF format, but the database is generally full text and international in scope making it potentially useful to students studying another language or culture.
- Philosopher's IndexPhilosopher's Index, produced by the Philosopher's Information Center, is a current and comprehensive bibliographic database covering scholarly research in all major fields of philosophy. The Philosopher’s Index, considered the most thorough index of journal literature on the subject, features author-written abstracts covering scholarly research published in journals and books, including contributions to anthologies and book reviews. The Philosopher's Index contains research published since 1940 including nearly 570 journals from 43 countries with content representing a variety of languages.
- Science DirectPhysical and Social Sciences database - covers physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities. Indexes both books and articles - some articles are full text with some in foreign languages
OTHER POTENTIALLY USEFUL DATABASES
- Article FirstAnother multi-disciplinary database. The strength of this database is that it allows you to specify those print journals located in Library. You must use the advanced search option to do this. Not a full text database, but there are links to some full text articles. Includes some articles on linguistics. Most foreign language articles will need to be ordered through interlibrary loan (ILLIAD) .
- Business Source Complete (EBSCO)Business Source Complete is an essential tool for business students. It covers all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, accounting, banking, finance and more. Content includes many full-text journals and topical video content.
- CINAHL PLUS w/ Full TextNursing & allied health database - providing abstracts of articles or full text articlesfor more than 770 journals. To search first select the language and the type in your topic in English and then search.
- Communications & Mass Media (EBSCO)Database that provides both full text and abstracts for numerous journal articles in communication, mass media, and other closely-related fields.)
- Education Source (EBSCO)Education Source is designed to meet the needs of education students, professionals and policy makers. The collection provides indexing and abstracts for more than 2,850 academic periodicals and includes full text for more than 1,800 journals, 550 books and monographs, education-related conference papers, citations for over 4 million articles including book reviews and over 100,000 controlled and cross-referenced names of educational tests. Coverage in Education Source spans all levels of education from early childhood to higher education and also includes educational specialties such as multilingual education, health education and testing.
- ERIC (EBSCO)(EBSCO): [ERIC - Educational Resource Information Center] Education database - includes articles on second language study. There is a web version at www.eric.ed.gov/
- Historical NewspapersHistorical Newspaper Database - provides access to online full text for four newspapers: The Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Historical newspapers articles are in PDF, some going back to the 19th Century.
- Medline with full text (EBSCO)The database contains a broad range of medical topics relating to research, clinical practice, administration, policy issues, and health care services
- National NewspapersNewspaper database - Indexes and provides access to online full text for four newspapers: The Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Historical Newspapers - Full text articles ... historical articles are in PDF, some going back to the 19th Century.
- News Bank - Access World NewsArticles from world wide newspapers
- PsycINFO (EBSCO)PsycINFO is one of the most comprehensive databases in psychology and related fields, with more than 1.7 million citations and abstracts of journal articles, book chapters and books, technical reports, and dissertations. Its holdings include material from 1,700 periodicals in over 30 languages. While there are links to some full text articles through the FIND IT function, many articles may need to be ordered from our interlibrary loan service (ILLIAD).
- Web of ScienceMultidisiplinary database - Citations database on science, technology, social sciences and arts & humanities.
Indexes several thousand articles on Language and Linguistics w/some links to full text. What makes this database unique is that it often links to (or at least cites) articles that are in the original article bibliography. It also points to recent articles that cite the original article. This creates a WEB of articles relating to the same topic and provides a good way to find other experts is a particular field of study. To search for foreign language articles select a language and then type in your topic in English using TS= or title using TI=. Many articles will need to be ordered through Interlibrary Loan (ILLIAD) through the FIND IT function.
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