Click the tabs in this box for helpful tips on database searching! There is a helpful handout on keyword searching linked below.
The content in this Database Searching Help and Tips box was adapted from an existing Database Search Tips LibGuide authored by the MIT Libraries and found at http://libguides.mit.edu/database-search
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic License.
To find subject headings for your topic:
Another way to find subject headings:
Subject headings describe the content of each item in a database. Use these headings to find relevant items on the same topic. Searching by subject headings (a.k.a. descriptors) is the most precise way to search article databases.
It is not easy to guess which subject headings are used in a given database. For example, the phone book's Yellow Pages use subject headings. If you look for "Movie Theatres" you will find nothing, as they are listed under the subject heading "Theatres - Movies."
Keyword searching is how you typically search web search engines. Think of important words or phrases and type them in to get results.
Here are some key points about each type of search:
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Subjects
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Boolean operators form the basis of mathematical sets and database logic.
Why use Boolean operators?
Use AND in a search to:
The purple triangle in the middle of the Venn diagram below represents the result set for this search. It is a small set using AND, the combination of all three search words.
Be aware: In many, but not all, databases, the AND is implied.
Use OR in a search to:
All three circles represent the result set for this search. It is a big set because any of those words are valid using the OR operator.
Use NOT in a search to:
Databases follow commands you type in and return results based on those commands. Be aware of the logical order in which words are connected when using Boolean operators:
Examples:
Truncation:
Truncation, also called stemming, is a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings.
Wildcards:
Similar to truncation, wildcards substitute a symbol for one letter of a word.
Records in library databases are comprised of fields containing specific pieces of bibliographic information. Common fields include:
The record belows shows the field names on the left: Author, Title, Source, Standard No., Details, Language, Abstract, Descriptor
Most databases allow you to specify that adjacent words be searched as phrases.
Proximity operators also vary by database, but some common ones include:
w# = with
n# = near
Consult the database Help screens to find out how to search by phrases or to specify proximity.
Stop words are frequently occurring, insignificant words that appear in a database record, article or web page.
Common stop words include:
Why should you care about stop words?
How can you avoid using stop words in your search?
Choose the most significant words that describe your topic and connect them together using Boolean operators or proximity operators.
Search for your terms in specific fields, such as author, title or subject/descriptor.
The script and video was created by the Yavapai College Library in Prescott, Arizona and is being used here in compliance with stated licensing and permissions guidelines.
Professional Magazines or Journals
A professional magazine or journal is one produced by a professional organization and tailored to the interests of its members. The peer-review process is not employed in the process of presenting content to readers. The editorial staff is responsible for the accuracy and verifiability of content as it works with contributors.
Professional magazines present news and analysis, editorial comment, and book reviews of interest to the association's members and often take the form of newsletters.
In some fields, they also present extensive professional development articles for the improvement of skills. The level of writing and execution can sometimes be quite high, approaching the scholarly. This sort of professional journal can be very useful to both practitioners of a professional and to college students who are engaged in professional preparation.
EXAMPLES OF PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINES
Trade or Industry Magazines
A trade journal or trade magazine is a periodical published with the intention of marketing ideas, products, or services to a specific industry or type of trade/business. The collective term for this area of publishing is the trade press. The peer-review process is not employed in the process of presenting content to readers. The editorial staff is responsible for the accuracy and verifiability of content as it works with contributors.
Trade and industry journals typically contain advertising content focused on the industry in question with little if any general-audience advertising. They also generally contain industry-specific job notices, a highly pertinent aspect to many readers.
Many trade publications can also be considered news magazines with a very specific topical focus. Some trade journals operate under controlled circulation, meaning the publisher decides who may receive complimentary subscriptions based on each individual's qualification as a member of the trade. This allows a high level of certainty that advertisements will be received by the advertiser's target audience.
In some instances, the boundary between trade publication and peer-reviewed journal has blurred. One such example is BioTechniques, which contains peer-reviewed technical reports and technology reviews while containing heavy advertising content, a significant proportion of the articles being authored by or in collaboration with vendors who advertise in the same issue.
EXAMPLES OF TRADE MAGAZINES
The above information is from https://libguides.piedmont.edu/c.php?g=521332&p=3564565
In the case of database articles, there are a few different ways to list the location element. In order of preference you will list:
1). DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
2). Permalink (if there is no DOI listed)
3). URL (If there is neither a DOI nor a Permalink). Note- the above citation includes a URL.
Your instructor may prefer that none of the above be included. An example is -
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Larr, Allison S., and Matthew Neidell. "Pollution and Climate Change." The Future of Children, vol. 26, no. 1, Spring 2016, pp. 93-113. Academic Search Complete. |
The databases in the box below are chosen as being appropriate for most career-related research projects. Most careers are covered in the more general, comprehensive career databases such as Ferguson's Career Guidance Center, Vocational and Career Collection, Vocations and Careers Collection, or ProQuest Research Library.
If your career matches the coverage of one of our smaller, more specialized databases, try searching for articles there. For example, aspiring chefs and caterers could search in the Culinary Arts Collection while future fashion designers might try the Berg Fashion Library.
The Job and Career Accelerator is a part of Learning Express Library and contains powerful tools and expert guidance to help you search for jobs.
The A-Z list of HCC library databases is -
--then the database provided URL may be used
OR
--the database name may be used
BOTTOM LINE - Follow any special instructions your instructor gives you as far as deviations from standard APA rules.
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