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Library Research Tutorials

This guide walks you through the research process with sections on searching the library catalogs and databases as well as tips on crafting research topics and how to evaluate sources.

Searching Library Databases

 

Image of computer with graphs and tablesThis page covers:

  • Using the Advanced Search Interface
  • Navigating and Filtering your Results
  • Looking at a Detailed View of an Item (the Record)

 

What's the point?

  • Searching library databases is an important skill in research because databases will search specific subjects and/or types of materials, which will provide you with better search results than simply searching the library catalog (and save you time). The good news is that the look and layout of academic databases will vary but if you can understand the basics of using one database, you will be able to navigate almost all the other databases through the library. Think of a library database as Amazon’s website, while not identical to Target’s website, if you can search one you can usually figure out the other.
  • This tutorial will provide screenshots and interactive images from the Academic Search Premier database. This is one of our most popular multidisciplinary databases. Open a new tab in your browser and follow along with the steps below to get the most out of this tutorial.

 

Navigating this page:

  • This page is designed with multiple learning pathways. The same information is covered in each pathway, so simply choose whichever fits your learning style best. You can explore the information three ways:
  • Interactive Image: Engage with the blue plus sign icons on the interactive image below to explore the database tutorial.
  • Text: Read about the information with accompanying screenshot images from the database.
  • Watch: Watch a video about the information in the Video Tutorials box at the bottom of the page.

 

Using the Advanced Search Interface

Using the Advanced Search Page

When possible, use the Advanced Search option, which offers many customized tools for your search.

 

Interactive Image of the Advanced Search Screen (Academic Search Premier)

Using the Advanced Search Page

When possible, use the Advanced Search option, which offers many customized tools for your search. Below are a list of many common advanced search pages tools and a screenshot of the Academic Search Premiere's advanced search webpage. 

  • Database Names and Vendors: Most databases are run by a company (or vendor) that hosts many different databases. Look in the upper left-hand corner of the screenshot below to see that EBSCOhost is the company hosting this database and Academic Search Premier is the database you are searching. You can also select Choose Databases if you would like to search a different database hosted by EBSCOhost or to search multiple databases at once. 
  • Advanced Search Box: This detailed search box is your core search tool. The multiple rows allow you to group related search terms together or to separate different search concepts. You can also use Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) to tell the database how you want to connect these search terms. The Select a Field option allows you to search only specific fields, such as the author, title, subject, or abstract. This field is optional and if you leave the field alone the database will search for your keywords in all the possible search fields. Searching the Abstract can be very helpful early in your research because an important term for the article might not be in the title, but it will likely be in the abstract (or summary) of an article.
  • Limiters: Limiters (also called filters) are ways limit your search results to sources that meet a specific criteria. Feeling overwhelmed? Leave the limiters blank, you will be given the option on your search results page to use these limiters again. The types of limiters available will depend upon the database, however almost all will offer the peer-reviewed, language, and date limiters. 
    • Full Text: Databases will often include articles in your results that the database does not have the full text for, just the citation and abstract information. Selecting the "Full Text" option will remove these sources from your search results. While tempting, do not select this limiter. Clicking this limiter will remove search results that might be contained in another library database. Moreover, even if the library doesn't have the source you need, we can attempt to borrow the item from another library for you. The steps to this process are covered below.
    • Peer Reviewed: Use this tool to limit your search results to only peer reviewed sources.
    • Publication Date: This tool will narrow your search results to only materials published within a specific time period. This is especially helpful if you want to limit your search results to either current or historical sources of information.
    • Publication Type: This tool will narrow your search results to specific types of materials, such as newspapers, books, conferences, quantitative studies, and many more.
    • Language: Use this tool to limit your search results to a specific language. This can be especially helpful when researching international topics.

 

Screenshot of the Advanced Search Screen (Academic Search Premier)

A screenshot of the Advanced Search interface for Advanced Search Premier. A direct link is provided in the text at the top of the page.

Navigating your Search Results

Navigating your Search Results

After you hit the search button and get to the search results page. Take a moment to review the number of results you retrieved. While you might have the perfect number of results, it is far more common to have either too few or too many results. This is normal and expected. Remember, research is a process. You will almost always need to return to previous steps in the process and attempt new search strategies.

  • Not enough results? Try going back and adjusting your search terms (try new terms, make your topic broader, or search in broader fields)
  • Too many results? This is the most common. When this happens, you will often need to go back and adjust your search terms (search more specific fields, narrow your topic, or add more search terms). But you can also use the limiters (or filters) to focus your search. The interactive image below goes over how to use these limiters and other helpful tools on this page.

 

Interactive Image of the Search Results webpage (Academic Search Premier)

Navigating the Search Results Page: Filtering your Results

After you hit the search button and get to the search results page, take a moment to review the number of results you retrieved. While you might have the perfect number of results, it is far more common to have either too few or too many results. This is normal and expected. Research is a process and you will need to go back and try new search strategies often. The information below lists many common features of Search Results pages. These features are listed below and the screenshot underneath provides a visual of Academic Search Premiere's search results page.

  • Search Results: Take a moment to review how many results your search returned. Sometimes your search is too broad or too specific and this can lead to having too many or too few search results. When this happens you should try adjusting your search terms and/or apply limiters (described below). You will almost always need to return to previous steps in the process and attempt new search strategies.
  • Limiters: Do you have too many results? Narrow your search results by selecting limiters located in a column on the left-hand side of the screen. You can narrow your search by selecting the limiters that we discussed on the advanced search screen section (such as date, peer reviewed, and source type). However, there are other limiters available now such as subject headings. The limiters are great ways to gather future search terms and learn the vocabulary of your research field.
  • Share: Is this a great search but you don't have time to look over your results? That's okay, just click Share and copy the permalink to return to this page in the future. Remember that with databases, bookmarking the webpage or copying the URL will expire. So be sure to record and save your search information often.
  • PDF Full Text vs JSBLink: Underneath the records on the screenshot below you will see either a PDF Full Text link or a JSBLink. The PDF Full Text link means that the database has the full text of this item. The JSBLink means that the database only has information about the item and not the full text. Click the JSBLink to search all 200+ library databases for this item. If it's available the next webpage will provide a link to the database, if it's not the webpage will prompt you to request it through the Interlibrary Loan system. Accessing materials the library does not own will be covered in more depth in the next page of this module.

 

Screenshot of the Search Results Webpage (Academic Search Premier)

A screenshot of the Academic Search Premier's search results page. The visual is described in the text above.

Looking at the Record: The Item

Looking at the Record: The Item

The Record is a term librarians use for the page with all the information relating to a specific source or material. Basically, this is the page that you arrive at after you select a title from your search results. This page provides a lot of useful information and tools, so let's take a moment to take apart the record page.

 

Interactive Image of a Record (Academic Search Premier)

Looking at the Record: The Item

The Record is a term that librarians use for the page with all the information relating to a specific source or material. Basically, this is the page that you arrive at after you select a title from your search results. This page provides a lot of useful information and tools, so let's take a moment to take apart the record page.  The information below takes apart the record page and the screenshot underneath provides a visual of Academic Search Premiere's record page.

  • Full Text: In the top, left-hand corner of the image above, you will notice a button that links to PDF Full Text of this article. If you see the JSBLink (described above) instead, click to it to see if the library has the item in another database or borrow the item from another library. This covered in more depth in the next section of this module.
  • Abstracts: Abstracts are short paragraphs that summarize the topic and findings of an article. They can save you time by helping you determine whether an article is worth reading more thoroughly. Also try browsing the abstract to find new search terms for your research.
  • Subject Terms: These terms are ways academics organize ideas that can be described in multiple ways. Think of these as academic hashtags-- they link together all the articles that are tagged with the same keywords. You can browse subject terms to learn new search terms and you can usually click the terms to find other items with the same subject term. 
  • Database Tools: Most databases have a similar set of tools once you have found a source. While database layouts change, the tools described below are usually located on the right side of or at the top of the webpage.
    • Saving your Source: Databases will usually offer many ways to save an item. These methods include saving a source within the database (this will require you to create a free account), sending the article to your Google Drive, printing the article, emailing you the citation, and downloading the article.
    • Permalink: When using a database remember that the URL in your browser's address bar is time-stamped, so you should never copy or bookmark it because in a couple of hours the link won't work. Instead, copy the “permalink” (sometimes called the “stable URL”) into your notes.
    • Citations: Many databases have a "Cite" tool, which will generate a citation of the item. This is a great tool to help you quickly save your item's information. But be careful and double-check the citations before placing them into your research because they are not always accurate.

 

Screenshot of a Database Record (Academic Search Premier)

A screenshot of the Academic Search Premier's Record page. The visual is described in the text above.

Video Tutorials for Common Library Databases

Academic Search Premier Video Tutorials

Academic Search Premier is one of our most popular databases. To become more familiar with the database, watch the video tutorials below. To get the most out of these tutorials, it is recommended you open a new window in your browser and follow along with the steps.

Academic Search Premier: Brief Database Tutorial [4:34]

Watch this 4:34 video for a brief tutorial and overview on searching Academic Search Premier. For a more in-depth tutorial, see the next video on this tab.

Video Credit: "Academic Search Premier: Brief Database Tutorial" by Broome Library licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) 

 

Academic Search Premier: In Depth Tutorial [11:30]

Watch this 11:30 video for a more in-depth tutorial on using Academic Search Premier. 

Video Credit: "Academic Search Premier: In Depth Tutorial" by Broome Library licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) 

PsycINFO Video Tutorials

PsycINFO is one of our most popular psychology databases. To become more familiar with the database, watch the video tutorials below. To get the most out of this tutorial, it is recommended you open a new window in your browser and follow along with the steps.

APA PsycInfo Tutorial (2020 Update) [5:30]

Video Credit: "APA PsycInfo Tutorial (2020 Update)" by Middlesex County College Library.

 

CSUCI Broome Library: PsycInfo Database Interface [3:08]

Video Credit: "CSUCI Broome Library: PsycInfo Database Interface" by Colleen Harris for Broome Library.

 

CSUCI Broome Library: Exploring PsycInfo Records from Search Results [8:04]

Video Credit: "CSUCI Broome Library: Exploring PsycInfo Records from Search Results" by Colleen Harris for Broome Library.

JSTOR and ARTSTOR Video Tutorials

JSTOR and ARTSTOR are our most popular humanities and art databases. They use to be separate databases but are now merging into one. Watch the video tutorials below to learn how to navigate and search these combined databases. To get the most out of this tutorial, it is recommended you open a new window in your browser and follow along with the steps.

Intro to JSTOR with ARTSTOR [6:43]

Video Credit: "Intro to JSTOR with ARTSTOR" by UMA Libraries.

ERIC Video Tutorial

ERIC is one of our most popular education databases. Watch the video tutorials below to learn how to navigate and search these combined databases. To get the most out of this tutorial, it is recommended you open a new window in your browser and follow along with the steps.

Database Tutorial: ERIC [7:03]

Video Credit: "Database Tutorial: ERIC" by Meriam Library.

Communications and Mass Media Video Database Tutorial

Communications and Mass Media is one of our most popular Communication Studies database. To get the most out of this tutorial, it is recommended you open a new window in your browser and follow along with the steps.

CSUCI Library: Communication and Mass Media Complete (EBSCO) [9:40]

Video Credit: "CSUCI Library: Communication and Mass Media Complete (EBSCO)" by Colleen Harris for Broome Library.

PubMed Video Database Tutorial

PubMed  is one of our most popular Health Science and Nursing databases. To get the most out of this tutorial, it is recommended you open a new window in your browser and follow along with the steps.

CSUCI Broome Library Database Tutorial: PubMed

Video Credit: "CSUCI Broome Library Database Tutorial: PubMed" by Elizabeth Blackwood for Broome Library.