Skip to Main Content

Effective database searching : Home

Introduction

This page is intended to give you general advice on how to get the best out of the search engines used by the kind of databases we provide. Unlike Internet search engines, these databases contain carefully catalogued information, and you can exploit this to improve your searching skills.

What is database?

A database is a collection of online journal articles. UUM Library subscribes to a number of databases across a variety of subject areas. Through the databases, you can access articles, eBooks, proceedings and other research material on your topic.

The types of information and information sources that are in databases include:

  • scholarly journal articles
  • trade journal articles
  • magazine articles
  • newspaper articles
  • eBooks
  • standards
  • company and industry information
  • and more ...

Which database should I use?

We subscribe to a wide range of databases. These come in three main types. A database can cover:

  • various subject areas (Web of Science, JSTOR)
  • specific subject areas (Royal Society of Chemistry, PhilPapers)
  • specific types of publication (Proquest Dissertations and Theses, U.K. Parliamentary Papers).

See the links below for lists of databases in particular subjects, along with an A-Z list of all our databases.

When you click on a particular database through the Library website, you will be taken to an introductory webpage highlighting its key features and topics/dates. We have also included links to support pages and advice on using reference management software with each database. Use these pages to judge whether a particular database is appropriate for your search.

For more help, contact your subject Liaison Librarian.

(Adapted from: TUS Library, 2021)

Reference

TUS Library. (2021). Effective database searching - Tips on searching databases, library catalogue and Discover! https://lit.libguides.com/search-techniques