Using the Library Databases @ SUNY Delhi

Brought to you by:The Resnick Library

SUNY DelhiNarrator: Angela Rhodes

Systems and Instruction Librarian

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Last Updated 12/06/2008

What’s a Database???

A collection of organized, collected data set up for ease of access. The library databases are collected journal

articles, usually specializing in a particular subject or topic.

What’s a journal?? AKA: serial, periodical, magazine; any type of

material that has a continuous publication over time.

Example: Time Magazine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New York Times

What’s a Database???

So if a library database contains collections of journals, what are we searching for? Articles: Small documents that are uniquely

published for every issue of a journal. Example: Imagine looking at a print version of

Time. Inside, you see small articles with unique titles, usually not related.

A database will take each of those unique titles from the entire series, and organize them so that you can find them by keyword, subject, title, author, etc.

Each database may contain hundreds of journal titles.

Where are the databases?

On the Resnick Library Webpage: http://www.delhi.edu/library

Delhi Home Page Academics Library Click on “Find Articles”

Which database do I use???

We have over 25 databases About 35,000 journal

titles Search by Subject

If you’re not sure where to start, try “General”

Each subject area has databases with journal titles relevant to that subject Example: many of our

science journals are in the database called “ScienceDirect”

Subject Links toDatabases

Names of Databases

In each Subject

How do I search a database?

Think of key terms rather than phrases Use multiple terms in advanced boxes to narrow your

search Narrow down by using limiters

Ex: year range (what year the issue would have been released)

When viewing your results, you’re looking at the title of the article. Next to it, you should see the author of the article, the

journal title it came from, the volume, issue, year, and page numbers (just as if it were from the print version)

By clicking on the article title, you should be able to view it if it is available in full text (you may see links underneath the article title that say “HTML Full Text” or “PDF Full Text” that will take you to the full text instead

Example Search

I’m looking for articles about Bill Gates....but when/what? 2000’s Bill Gates?

Xbox, Vista, Empire 1980’s Bill Gates?

Pioneer, risk-taker 1970’s Bill Gates?

Teenager, law-breaker Let’s try a general database: Academic

Search Premier Keyword search: Bill Gates Limiter: 1980-1990

Example Search cont.

My results: 40 articles from 1980-1990 that had the words “bill gates” anywhere in the article.

On the Left margin: narrow by Subject Ex: Chief executive officer narrows my 40

results down to 3 But there’s no HTML or PDF full text for 2 of

them…. There IS a 360 Link

Article Title

Journal Title

Full TextAvailability

360 Link

If you find an article you want, but the full text is not available, use the 360 Link or “Link to Full Text” icons next to the article Portal Page will show you other databases (if any)

where the article is available in Full Text Ex: Click on the 360 Link for the second article: “A

Computer Jock’s $550 Million Dollar Jackpot” Link to other database where available. If not

available, use the other steps to obtain it. Click on the article link to go right to the full text.

The result is the exact article I was looking for in full text

Some databases will only link you to the database at a journal title or general database level. If that is the case you’ll need to re-type your search.

Use advanced search, and type in your article title, and narrow by journal title

Other database where articleis available and the level

of linking.

Article weSearched for

Other optionsTo findFull text

We’ve linked toa new database

by using 360 Link!

Our full text is below.

Shortcuts in Searching Databases

What if I already know what Journal Title I want, but I don’t know what database will have it? Use the “Search by Journal Title” link under

“Find Articles” Browse by first letter of title, or use drop-down

box and enter text What if I already have an exact Citation for an

Article Title? Use the “Search by Exact Citation” link under

Find Articles” Searching is similar to using 360 Link.

Example: Time & Bill Gates

I want to find any articles about Bill Gates that were featured in Time magazine. Let’s use “Search by

Journal Title” Click Business & Co.

Database link Has best coverage

of Time Magazine

Journal Title and ISSN

Date Range

And Data-base

Example: Time and Bill Gates

In the database, perform an advanced search for “Bill Gates” in key terms and limit by the Journal Title “Time”

Results will show all articles in Time that relate to Bill Gates. 108 Related Articles, sorted by most recent

published.

List of Image Resources Used to Make This Presentation “[Bill Gates 1984 Time Magazine].” 1984. Online Image. Solar

Navigator: Bill Gates. 15 March 2008. http://www.solarnavigator.net/sponsorship/sponsorship_images/bill_gates_time_magazine_cover_april_1984.jpg

“Bill Gates [1985 on Desk].” 1985. Online Image. Flickr.com. 15 March 2008. http://www.flickr.com/photos/esparta/187132369/

“[Bill Gates 2005 Time Magazine].” May 2005. Online Image from “I’ll be ready when Sony says its ready.” 16 May 2005. Edge Video Game Culture. 15 March 2008. http://www.edge-online.co.uk/archives/Time360.jpg

“Bill Gates Mug Shot.” Circa 1975. Online Image from “Facts about Bill Gates.” 31 Oct. 2006. Gecko and Fly.com. 15 March 2008. http://www.geckoandfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/gates_mug_shot.jpg

Nguyn, Tuan. “[Bill Gates 2006 on Desk].” 15 June 2006. Online Image from “Microsoft Announces Bill Gates's Retirement.” Daily Tech.com. 15 March 2008. http://images.dailytech.com/nimage/1830_billg5_web.jpg

Rhodes, Angela. “Angela the Librarian.” 4 April, 2008. Online Image. Yahoo! Avatars. 4 April 2008. http://avatars.yahoo.com/?src=ymy

**Library Web Images captured by Angela Rhodes, Resnick Library, SUNY Delhi for the purpose of this presentation.

Wasn’t That Fun?

Questions: Ask A Librarian Email: library@delhi.edu Phone: 607-746-4644 IM: resnicklibrary

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