Gingrich Library: FYS 100:-- Becoming a Global Scholar: LION OneSearch & Research Starters

Library Databases

What is a Database?

The Albright College Library offers access to dozens of subscription, or for fee, databases. These databases are collections of articles in magazines, newspapers, and journal. Many will be "full text" which means you get the complete article.

Why use a database? Database versus the Web

Stable. Once you locate something, you can find it again.
Reliable-most information in library databases is based on a print resource and has gone through a review process. Anyone can publish to the web.
Precise--you can refine your search to get close to the material you need. Compare searching 50 articles relevant to your search to 50 million from the Web.

In short, you should use library databases in order to quickly find relevant scholarly information that you can use in research papers or other course projects. We also have several library databases that include music, videos, and art! Take a look and you're sure to find something that relates to you!

Library databases:	Websites:
get their information from professionals or experts in the field.	can be written by anyone regardless of expertise.
contain published works where facts are checked.	content is not necessarily checked by an expert.
are easy to cite in a bibliography and may create the citation for you.	often don't provide the information necessary to create a complete citation.
can help you narrow your topic or suggest related subjects.	often aren't organized to support student research needs.
are updated frequently and include the date of publication.	may not indicate when a page is updated.

Sep 4, 2018

When Should I Use OneSearch?

OneSearch is a great place to start your research and get ideas for your assignment. It helps you quickly find relevant resources on a subject, without having to decide which database(s) to search. You can also limit your search results in a variety of ways, including date range, publication type, subject, and geographic location. The library's cataloged resources, such as books, eBooks, and DVDs and are also integrated into the search results.

LION OneSearch box -- Use the tabs below to customize your search!

Use the cataLION catalog to find books, e-books and DVDs at Albright

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