How to Use Library Databases

1. How to Use Library Databases Northern Illinois University UNIV 105

2. Introduction • Library databases contain indexed journals • Databases vary from multi-disciplinary (many topics) to highly-specialized (one broad topic) • Some databases contain full-text, full-image displays of old newspapers (such as the Chicago Tribune) • Today we will use library databases to find peer-reviewed journal articles about blacks in industrial engineering

3. The Website • Log on to this site: www.ulib.niu.edu • Click on Article Databases

4. The Website • You can search databases alphabetically (see below) or by subject

5. The Website • If you log on to University Libraries from off-campus, you will be asked to enter your account code and password

6. Databases • Multi-disciplinary databases cover a lot of topics • Annual Reviews covers biomedical, physical and social sciences • EBSCO contains multiple subject-specific databases • Some databases are highly-specialized • Hein Online contains nothing but law journals • SIAM = Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics • The database of choice for this search is Academic Search Complete, which is a multi-disciplinary database covered by EBSCO

7. Keyword or subject? • Keywords can be in a title, abstract, subject, etc. • Usually yields a large number of results • May retrieve irrelevant sources • Subject refers to a given item's main topic • Controlled vocabulary takes care of synonyms • ADD = attention deficit disorder • Boolean operators can be used when searching library databases

8. Boolean Searches • AND (default) means both of two terms must appear • Example: "global warming" AND "New Zealand" • OR means at least one term must appear • Example: "atomic energy" OR "nuclear energy" • NOT means you don't want a certain term • Example: "mouse" NOT "computer" • These operators can be combined

9. The Main Event • Use Academic Search Complete (which is covered by EBSCO) for this search • On the EBSCO site, you can click the plus sign if you want to add more terms to your search • Other options include the following: • Limiting your search to peer-reviewed journals (as is the case in this search) • Limiting the timeframe (1995-2013, for example) • Search: ("blacks" OR "African American") AND "industrial engineering"

10. Results • Our search for peer-review journals with (("blacks" OR "African American") AND "industrial engineering") as subject(s) yielded 12042 results • Click on the first entry • "A NOBLE FIGHT: African American Freemasonry and the Struggle for Democracy in America" by Jacob Dorman (authors are given last name first) • American Studies (2014), vol. 53, issue 3, 83-86 • Clicking SFX-NIU gives you options like Full Text and Web Search

11. Summary • When using library databases to find journal articles, you should search for what you want by subject • Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) can be used to fine-tune what search items are in or out • Specific search instructions may vary from database to database

12. Your Turn • Use Academic Search Complete to find peer-reviewed journal articles about the following (searching by subject): • Hispanic Nobel Prize winners • Women in business marketing • Blacks in college sports • What did you find?

13. Resources • University Libraries (NIU): http://www.ulib.niu.edu • How should I search in a database? (online video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgk3qzl4dLQ • Keyword vs. subject (online video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLClln7icdk • Finding journal articles in Academic Search Premier (online video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfG3LekVPxs

14. Any questions?