Using Online
Databases
What are they? Online
databases store information from reference books, magazines/journals,
newspapers, primary sources and sometimes even multimedia sources. Although they are accessed electronically,
they are NOT the same as Internet sources.
Rather, they are digitized print sources, which
makes their information searchable. Where are they
located? Online databases may be accessed from any computer
(with the correct passwords if required) by going to the Begin Your
Search page on Which database should I
use? §
Grolier Online –
5 encyclopedias/dictionaries/thesaurus/atlas ~ For a general overview of your topic §
Infotrac – several different resource centers which include
articles from reference books, newspapers and magazines/journals as well as
primary sources and multimedia sources. ~
For either general subject or more specific keyword searching on a topic. How do I search the
databases? Choose the appropriate database for your
topic. Example: Use the InfoTrac
Student Resource Center Literature Search if you are writing a paper on
Edgar Allan Poe and his work, entering your key word(s) or “phrases” in
quotation marks. Use Boolean operators
to link multiple terms (see Boolean Operators below). Select the appropriate
file tab for the type of resource you need:
references, magazines/journals, newspapers, primary sources, or
multimedia. §
Use
key words and “phrases” to make your search more specific. ~
Example: What are some of the major themes
that Edgar Allan Poe addresses in his works? §
Correct spelling
– search terms MUST be spelled correctly to retrieve the desired information. §
Use
of Boolean Operators to narrow or broaden search: ~ AND – Example: television AND violence ~ OR – Example: television OR t.v. ~ NOT – Example: television NOT violence §
Truncation to
expand search results: ~
* (asterisk) placed at end of term’s root retrieves all words sharing the
same root. Example: faith* retrieves faith, faithful,
or faiths. How do I print, e-mail
or save my sources? Both Grolier Online and InfoTrac
offer the option of printing (use printer-friendly format), e-mailing, or
saving search results. InfoTrac also allows one to build a list of
sources that are visited. How do I cite my
sources? Follow Highland’s Online Research Guide (MLA
format) for electronic sources. There
are examples for both Grolier and InfoTrac. The format differs depending on the
origin of the source: reference book,
newspaper, magazine, or encyclopedia article. Name________________________________________Class_____________________________ Online Databases WorksheetConduct an online
database search using the keywords and/or phrases from your research
question. Select one from each of the following sources: encyclopedia article, reference book,
newspaper article, and magazine/journal article. Cite each of your five sources using MLA
format (see Examples of Works Cited handout).
Example: Why might it be necessary to give up some
of our civil liberties in order to protect our national security? Key phrases: “civil liberties” “national security”
Conduct
a keyword(s)/phrase(s) search on all appropriate databases. Hint: If “no sources found,” write synonyms or related
terms for your key words or phrases.
Use Boolean Operators or truncation if necessary. Example: “civil liberties” and “national
security” or “civil liberties” and
“anti-terrorism”
Example: Reference Book " Cold War. Edited by
Benjamin Frankel. Reproduced in Gale Group. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/> Abstract: This article discusses whether or not civil
liberties were at stake at the beginning of the Cold War. Although some legislation was passed that
curbed American freedoms such as the Internal Security Act, more sweeping
legislation was held in check by action of the Supreme Court.
|
