Using the Library's Databases

A database is a searchable electronic collection of information. Databases contain thousands of articles published in hundreds of different journals, allowing you to find relevant articles faster than you would by searching individual journals one-by-one.

Some databases are full text meaning they provide the complete text of articles. Some databases will only provide records of articles; records include information about the article: title, author, journal it was published in, publication date, summary, etc. Many databases provide a combination of records and full text.

Additional information about databases:

• Can include journals, newspapers, magazines, reports, newsletters and more.
• Sometimes include books, but if you want books specifically, use the library catalogue (consult this guide for information on searching the library's catalogue).
• Can focus on one subject or can be multidisciplinary.
• Allow you to print, save, or email records and, if available, the full-text of articles (often in pdf format).
• Can be used off campus, if you log in with your Ambrose email and password.
• Are also called subscription databases, online databases, article databases, and research databases.
• Are hosted by various vendors (e.g., EBSCO, ProQuest, etc.)

Depending on the vendor, databases might look different. However, they will often have similar functionality, like limiting to only peer-reviewed journals, publication date, etc.