Finding sources - Using Databases
Whether using the library or the Internet for research, everyone should understand what a database is and how to use it. Basically, a database is a collection of articles which can be accessed by computer, often from a library website orfrom your home computer. Because the articles are collected and disseminated by a specific group, such as a professional organization, they are not often available to the general public without a fee. But some databases give free access to their archives through search engines such as <scholar.google.com> or <doaj.org> (Directory of Open Access Journals).
The benefit of a database is that the articles are almost always from scholarly journals. Databases are usually subject specific as well, allowing for very specific topical searches. Articles in databases are used by professionals and researchers at the doctoral level and beyond, so the language level is often quite high. Learning to use databases can be frustrating at first, but with patience any student can pull information from these sources which pertains to his/her research.