Library Tutorial 4: Using Research Databases
Scholarly vs Non-Scholarly Resources
Your instructor may ask your to use only scholarly resources for your paper. What's the difference between a scholarly or non-scholarly resource?
Scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources include books and articles published in scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and books. These sources are reviewed by a panel of experts in that particular field, and are often published by a professional association or a university press. These experts ensure the information published is credible before accepting it for publication.
Non-Scholarly sources include websites, magazines, newspapers, and books that undergo no expert review prior to publishing.
Check with your instructor if you plan to use any non-scholarly websites and use the CRAAP test to evaluate them.
What are Peer-Reviewed Articles?
Does your instructor require you to use scholarly, or peer-reviewed articles? Watch the video below from Vanderbuilt University to find out what peer-reviewed articles are.
Business & News Article Databases
- Business Source Premier This link opens in a new windowFull text and searchable cited references for top journals covering a variety of business disciplines.
- Nexis Uni Academic This link opens in a new window Search for any of the following types of content: news, cases, law reviews, company information, country information, or publications.
Company Information
- Hoover's Company Records This link opens in a new window Business Market Research Collection: Conduct company, industry, economic and geopolitical market research with information from these sources: Hoover's Company Profiles - covering 40,000 global public and non-public companies including financials, competitors, officers, and more; OxResearch - succinct articles covering regional economic and political developments of significance; US and Worldwide Industry & Market Reports from Barnes Reports - covering global industries in depth; and Snapshots - market research overviews on 40+ industries and 40 countries.
- Nexis Uni Academic This link opens in a new window Search for any of the following types of content: news, cases, law reviews, company information, country information, or publications.
General Periodical Indexes
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
An unprecedented collection of peer-reviewed, full-text journals for academic research.
- MasterFILE Premier This link opens in a new window
Search multiple databases, from one search box
- MegaSearch This link opens in a new window
Search dozens of databases and the library catalog. Find articles, books, eBooks, videos, and more. This cross-curricular research database supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. Informed, differing views help learners develop criticalthinking skills and draw their own conclusions.
Search Strategy
1. Use a KEYWORD search.
2. Find a relevant article.
3. Try clicking an official SUBJECT descriptor from this article. Or look for a "Find Similar Articles" function.
4. Use precise terminology from the article in a new Keyword search.
5. Consult an encyclopedia for overviews of concepts (see box at lower left).
6. Email articles to yourself--with citations.
Periodicals
- The Economist This link opens in a new window Our stories offer a distinctive blend of news and analysis, so you can understand the events shaping the world
- Flipster This link opens in a new window
Is a next-generation digital magazine solution that makes it easy for you to read your favorite magazines on your computer or mobile device
- OverDrive/Libby This link opens in a new window
Borrow digital content (like ebooks and audiobooks) anytime, anywhere. Every OverDrive collection is slightly different depending on the needs of the library's users. -OverDrive, Inc.