How to Search a Database

What Types of Databases Are Available?

The databases you're likely to find in a library or on the Web usually contain information about both print and electronic publications. This information is found on records that are similar to those provided by a library's online catalog. Database records typically provide publication information about the author(s), title, publisher, publication date, and subject of a source.

As a research writer, you'll be most interested in many types of databases, including subject databases, bibliographies, full-text databases, and citation indexes.

• Subject databases provide information about a broad subject, such as education, business, or psychology. The Art Abstracts database, for instance, presents publication information (including author, title, publication date, and publisher) and abstracts of works published in the field of art. Subject databases usually don't give access to the full text of the articles and research reports they list.
• Bibliographies, such as the MLA Bibliography and the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, are specialized databases with information about publications in a subject area. They are similar to subject databases; however, they focus more narrowly on a particular field, and they typically provide only publication information (as opposed to brief descriptions or the complete text of the sources they cite).
• Full-text databases, such as LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe, the ACM Digital Library, and Electric Library, provide the complete text of a document as well as its publication information. These databases are becoming increasingly popular as they provide access to a larger and larger number of publications.
• Citation indexes, such as the Social Sciences Citation Index, are highly specialized but useful to researchers. A citation index can point the way to additional articles about a topic by identifying which publications have made reference to another publication. Such a resource can help you discover the many voices within the conversation you have joined.