LibGuides: WR 122: Argumentative Writing: Searching in Databases

What are Databases?

Article databases are tools you can use to find articles on a variety of topics. Some databases are interdisciplinary (they cover multiple subjects/topics) and some are subject-specific (they specialize in providing articles on a single subject). Use the tabs below to explore different kinds of databases, and use the Tips section to learn how to search in databases.

Databases

Databases require a different kind of search technique. Instead of entering a long string of text, you connect your search terms using Boolean Operators: AND, OR and NOT. The diagram below shows the effect of using each of the Boolean Operators. The black area indicates the volume of items that will be retrieved in each case.

Venn diagram showing how the Boolean Operators AND, OR and NOT retrieve different numbers of results

Cecelia Vetter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Start your article search in a database that covers all subjects:

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
This scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study. It provides full text for more than 4,650 journals, including full text for more than 3,900 peer-reviewed titles. PDF backfiles to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.

VIDEO: How to use databases from EBSCO (4 min.)

Google Scholar is another good option because it covers many different subjects:

Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for academic research including journal articles, books, technical reports, conference proceedings, and other scholarly material. Make sure you visit Settings and set Oregon Tech as your library so you have easier access to articles for free.

VIDEO: How to set up Google Scholar (1 min.)

Exploring a topic related to your major? Try a subject-specific database.

Click one of the links below to explore databases focused on your subject:

BUSINESS

COMPUTER SCIENCE

EDUCATION

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

HEALTH & MEDICINE

PSYCHOLOGY

SUBJECT DATABASES FOR ADDITIONAL MAJORS