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The Databases: An Overview

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The Databases: An Overview

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  1. The Databases: An Overview When this image appears, click to proceed to the next slide at your own pace. To go back, click the right mouse button and select “Previous,” “Reverse,” or “Back” to review a slide. If the slide show doesn’t start automatically, press the F5 key. Next… F5

  2. What are the “Databases?” • A database is a collection of information organized in a way that can be searched, accessed, and used. • Common examples include directories, address books, a library’s catalog, bibliographic databases, and the Internet itself, among others. • Bibliographic databases organize publication information from books, periodicals and other sources, many offering full-text. • These are the type that this presentation is about. Next…

  3. About Our Databases • RPCC is a member of LOUIS, the Louisiana Library Network, an organization of academic, special, public & school libraries from throughout the state that share numerous resources. • It is our membership in LOUIS that enables our access to many databases and other resources. • Access to these databases provides users with information from thousands of publications and resources crucial to research and study. • We also subscribe to several other resources that are not part of our LOUIS databases. Next…

  4. More about the databases • We have access to over 70 databases and other resources. • They are either general in scope, covering a full range of subjects, or focus on specific areas of study. • Many offer full-text articles ~ this means that, if available, you have access to an entire article as it was published. • The databases include information on countless articles and other data from newspapers, magazines, journals and other sources. Next…

  5. Database Providers • Most of the databases come from commercial providers, such as EBSCO, Gale Group, and LexisNexis. • Others come from government agencies. • Still others come from organizations whose main goal is to provide access to as much information as possible to as many users as possible. • Some are free, but most are not. • Different providers use different search interfaces; even though they look different, they perform most of the same functions and have similar features. Next…

  6. Access to the Databases • Login is NOT required for on-campus access for most databases. • Off-campus access to subscription-based databases, however, DOES require login. • To access the databases from off-campus, you need to know your Library User ID or Alt ID and PIN. Next…

  7. User ID, Alt ID & PIN • Your Library User ID is your 9-character LoLA ID. • Ex.: L00123456 • You can find this number on your class schedule • Your Alternate (Alt.) ID is your LoLA user name. • Ex.: johnsmith1, jaynedeaux, etc. • Your PIN is your 6-digit date of birth, mmddyy. • Ex.: June 10, 1989 would be 061089 NOTE: The LoLA ID number is NOT the same as your LoLA user name. You can find your LoLA Student or Instructor ID number once you have logged into LoLA and selected RPCC under Self Service. Students should select “Registration” and a schedule option; faculty should select “Faculty and Advisors,” then a schedule option. It will be displayed near your name on the right. Next…

  8. When accessing the all RPCC Databases from OFF-Campus, you should get this screen. Next…

  9. A Quick Glossary • Interface – refers to how the database accesses the information and its appearance; this varies from one provider to another. • Abstract – a summary of an article; this can help you decide if an article may be useful or not. • Citation – the publication information; i.e., the title, author, source (magazine, journal, newspaper, etc.), when it was published, etc. • Index – in this context, similar to database; it provides a list of where resources can be found, but usually does not include access to full-text. Next…

  10. Selecting Databases • Each database includes a brief description; read them to decide which ones would be most useful for you. • The database title usually includes helpful information; if “Abstracts” is part of the name, it typically does not offer full-text articles. • While we recommend choosing full-text, this does not mean that you shouldn’t use others. There are ways to get those articles that are not “full-text.” You just need to allow time in your research to get them from other sources. Next…

  11. Search OptionsMost databases offer most of these options • Words or phrases; also called keywords – searches any part of a record that can be searched; most commonly used and usually the best option. • Title – searches only for titles; good if you know the title of the article you need. • Author – for most databases, this is the author of an article; use if you want to find articles, etc., written by a certain person or organization. • Subject – uses specific terms, use only if you know what they are; these may also vary from one database to another. Next…

  12. Search Options • Most databases offer “Basic Search” and “Advanced Search” choices. • A “Basic Search” usually allows searching for just one search type (e.g., key words, a title, an author, or subject) at a time. • “Advanced Search” allows the use of multiple search options at the same time and may offer ways to limit searches. This helps you in refining your search. Next…

  13. Search Options & Strategies • Choose words and phrases important to your topic. • Be specific in order to narrow your search. • Set limits; these may vary from one database to the next, but most offer the same basic choices, such as: • Full-text (this will locate only those articles that are available as full-text) • Date limits (i.e., when the articles were published; very important for some topics) Next…

  14. Search Options & Strategies, cont. • Adjust your search based on the results. • If you get too few, use broader terms, add a wider range of dates, etc. • If you get too many, try more specific terms, shorten your date ranges, etc. Next…

  15. Search Options & Strategies, cont. • Some databases offer the option to search for “Peer-reviewed” or “Scholarly” articles. • These are articles that have been reviewed by experts in those subject areas. • They tend to be highly technical. • Your research needs will determine if such articles are what you need. • Note that not all articles in a scholarly journal will be scholarly, such as a book review. Review an article to see if it actually is. Next…

  16. Output Options • Output refers to how you want to get the articles. • The most common options are: • Print • E-mail • Save • Most databases offer at least one choice, some offer more. • Choose the option that will work best for you. Next…

  17. Output Options, cont. • Print – is immediate, but may not be practical at the time. • E-mail – a quick way to send your search results to yourself for later access, especially if you’re not at home; most allow sending to more than one address (very useful for group work). • Save – if available, save it to your computer at home, to a flash drive (highly recommended) or a disk; if not at home, saving to a flash drive is your best choice. • See the Help or Tutorials from specific databases for more information on using their features. These are linked on our Tutorials page. Next…

  18. Access to the Databases starts from our home page… Next…

  19. … and you will come here. Click on a heading to expand the section and see our databases. Next…

  20. Click on the title or icon to access the database. If off-campus, you will be prompted to login. Next…

  21. The page also includes links to helpful information on accessing and using our databases and related resources. Next…

  22. These are some of the providers of the most popular databases. • EBSCOhost • Offers 50+ databases across all disciplines • Gale Group • Offers biography, literary, & virtual reference resources • LexisNexis • Offers news, legal & corporate information • JSTOR • Offers archives of scholarly journals • And more . . . Next…

  23. Online Reference Sources include: • Britannica Online Academic Edition • A full-text encyclopedia with video downloads, maps, statistics, classic literature, and more • Literati • A reference resource that also search across other resources. • Oxford Reference Online • Offers full-text access to subject dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. • Oxford English Dictionary Online • Offers definitions, history, etc., on over 500,000 English language words • Salem Reference Resources • Include reference sources for Health, History, Literature & Science • World Book Online products • Encyclopedia, e-books, and more Next…

  24. Was this information helpful? • Do you have any questions? • Let us know how we’re doing. • Send an e-mail to lrc@rpcc.edu to tell us. • Please be as specific as necessary. • Tell us what you like and/or dislike about this tutorial and our services in general. • Your comments are appreciated. Phone numbers: (225) 743-8550; (225) 743-8551; (225) 743-8552 Fax: (225) 743-8212 Last slide

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