Research and the Library: Using Resources WISely: Choosing the Right Database

Willet Library has research guides for all subjects.  Each guide has a list of databases that may be useful for your research.  You can also access our databases through our Databases A-Z list.  Using Galileo, you can browse databases by subject to see which ones may be right for you.  

Remember, if you don't find what you need in one database don't give up, try several different ones.  Different databases pull from different sources, so you can find articles in one that won't be in others. 

Do not limit to just full-text databases.  Remember that you can get an article through ILL in a few days.  

When deciding which database to use for your research, think about what kind of sources you will need. 

• Multi-discipline
  • You will use multidiscipline databases in introductory courses, but they can also be useful when your topic itself is interdisciplinary. Additionally, multidiscipline databases can help you determine what subjects your topic falls under when you're unsure; this can lead  you to a more discipline specific database to search.
  • Academic Search Complete, Research Library, etc
• Subject Specific - literature, psychology, nursing, social sciences, humanities - art/theatre
  • In upper level courses, senior seminars, and other advanced coursework, you will increasingly rely on subject specific databases.
  • Examples include:
    • Fine Arts: Artstor, International Bibliography of Theater & Dance with Full Text 
    • Literature: Literature Online (LION), MLA International Bibliography
    • Nursing: CINAHL Complete, Nursing & Allied Health Database (ProQuest)
    • Psychology: PsycINFO, Psychology Database
    • Social Sciences: Social Science Database, Sociological Collection
  • This list is not exhaustive. Refer to the corresponding subject guide for recommended databases on your topic.
• News Sources for Current Events
  • News sources are not considered scholarly resources, but you may need to provide a source for up to date information within your paper or presentation.
  • The Library provides access to databases that contain local, national, and international news sources, like News & Newspapers, Newspaper Source Plus, & International Newsstream

Read through the descriptions of databases on the A-Z Guide or GALILEO's site to see which one(s) will best help you find the information you need. Don't forget that they search different sources, so the same search in multiple databases will bring back different results.