1	Using Databases at Halle Library Module Three: basic guide to use while conducting research
2	Basic Database Access Visit www.endicott.edu click on the Library link at the top. To view our databases, see the left hand side menu of options. Click on “Library Databases”. You will then see an listing of the available databases by vendor name. There are two ways to access these databases.
3	Basic Database Access You can search our electronic databases in several ways: Databases by vendor (all of the databases grouped by vendor name) Databases A to Z (all of our individual databases listed alphabetically with descriptions)
4	Basic Database Access For database access, you will need an Endicott College email address to gain entry. Please enter your Endicott e-mail username and password when prompted. If you do not know your Endicott College e-mail username and password, please click here for further instructions. If you need assistance while attempting to access the databases, please contact the reference desk - telephone: 978-232-2268 or email: end@noblenet.org
5	First Set of Databases - EBSCO Log into EBSCO - the premier set of databases used for research here at Endicott College. Notice the menu of databases in EBSCO… some of them are checked off… you will need to familiarize yourself with what is available here. Customize your search… choose the database(s) that will find materials relative to your topic. For instance, don’t keep or click on health and nursing databases if you are searching strictly for business resources.
6	The Way To Search You may need to use what is known as “Boolean searching” to effectively locate materials. This means using AND, NOT & OR to link terms together. AND is the most commonly used term. Example: Say you are looking for materials on teenage drinking… Think up all relative terms and combine them creatively as if you are putting a puzzle together. Some terms: teenage and drinking, alcohol and adolescents, substance abuse and young adults, adolescents and drinking etc. Try them all and keep thinking up more! Each will bring different results. Make sure your spelling is correct.
7	Scholarly Publications? If your professor wants you to find only scholarly/peer-reviewed sources, make sure to check off this box for all databases you’ve chosen with that option. (Some databases, such as PsycARTICLES, do not provide this option. If you are not sure if it is a scholarly/peer-reviewed source ask your professor!) Leave the full-text option blank unless you are pressed for time. You may want to search Journal Titles for any citations/abstracts. If it is still not available, please fill out the InterLibrary Loan form for us to order it for you.
8	Title Searching and Advanced Searching In EBSCO If you have a specific title put in ti= and then the title or just type the title surrounded with quotes. If you opt for just quotes, it must contain the exact title. Advanced Searching: click on the link under the search box… you can conduct searches for titles, source, authors etc. Try experimenting with various options. Using this advanced option is great if you want to look through a specific publication for a specific keyword, author, etc.
9	On to the next set of databases -InfoTrac Login to InfoTrac. Scroll down this set of databases to become familiar with what’s available. The most used InfoTrac databases here at Endicott are Academic OneFile, General OneFile, Expanded Academic ASAP, Health Reference Center Academic, General Business File ASAP and Educator’s Reference Complete. You can either select to search these databases simultaneously or individually.
10	Searching InfoTrac The same basic searching strategy as described for the EBSCO databases should be applied here with InfoTrac. For example, let’s try Academic OneFile… Notice this defaults to a keyword search. You can type in adolescents and drinking and use the same examples as you did in EBSCO. You can also limit to peer-reviewed and/or full-text if you haven’t already done so by checking the appropriate boxes at the top of the results.
11	Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed? If you need scholarly articles in InfoTrac, make sure to first click on “more search options.” Then click the box to limit results “to peer-reviewed publications”. Don’t click on “full-text”. Keep your options open. The article you select may be full text elsewhere. As you search though different databases you may find scholarly materials referred to as peer-reviewed, refereed, juried or scholarly. These names generally refer to the same types of academic level materials.
12	Full Text vs. Citations in EBSCO and InfoTrac Both EBSCO and InfoTrac provide either full text or abstracts/citations to articles, depending upon current content subscriptions. It’s a good habit to try both sets of databases. Sometimes you may find a cited article in one, and then locate it’s full text version in the other. You should try to locate a citation in another database by using Journal Titles. Type in the name of the journal you are looking for and the results will tell you if it is available full text at Endicott.
13	Lexis/Nexis Academic Our subscription provides full-text access to global news resources, legal and business research as well as reference information. The “business” tab provides industry news from a variety of reputable sources. Valuable access to company profiles and financial reports.
14	News resources in Lexis/Nexis Academic Try a search in the “News” tab. Type keywords into the “search terms” boxes. Use the drop down menus to choose the type of news and sources specific to your search. Then choose the year span that you want searched in the drop down menu. You can search a up to a decade back.
15	Legal resources in Lexis/Nexis Academic You can choose the “Legal” tab if you have a specific case citation and/or party names involved. Search for a variety of Federal and State laws, codes, regulations, etc. When searching for such information, make sure to fill out keywords and plug in additional terms in the “search terms” box. You may also choose your source and date range.
16	Emerald Emerald is a UK based database useful for hospitality and business majors as well as management topics. Using “Quick search” you can locate materials by article title, author, keyword, etc. You may also browse by journal title or subject. You can also use an advanced search and search by phrase or exact match in different fields. There is no indicator for scholarly articles. Please ask your professor if you are not sure.
17	Proquest Massachusetts Newsstand: Provides current news items originating from the Massachusetts area in full text. Criminal Justice Periodicals: Important database for criminal justice and related majors. See the next slide for more help with CJ searching.
18	Searching Criminal Justice Periodicals: Can choose scholarly option and date limitations. A neat perk - provides alternate searching ideas. Example, if you type in teens and guns - it lists different search combinations to click on and view. This database also has an advanced option. If you don’t find full text here, try searching for the name of the journal Journal Titles. If you still have no luck, request an InterLibrary Loan.
19	ARTStor ARTStor is a digital library offering collections of art images. Search by keyword and then you can narrow down your results by date, geography, and classification. Double click on images to enlarge. Click on captions to view image information.
20	WilsonWeb Education Full Text Education Full Text covers an international range of education topics which are thoroughly indexed. You may search for peer reviewed and full text articles. Boolean searching may also be helpful with this database
21	ACM Digital Library The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) offers a vast collection of citations and full text from ACM journal and newsletter articles and conference proceedings through their digital library. The ACM Digital Library also offers the Guide to Computing Literature. This guide is a collection of bibliographic citations and abstracts
22	BuildingGreen Suite BuildingGreen is an informative site for sustainable building. Articles, product listings and case studies cover a wide range of topics. This electronic resource can be browsed by subject or explored by typing keywords into the search box.
23	Journal of Intercollegiate Sport Journal of Intercollegiate Sport features cross-disciplinary research on intercollegiate sport and promotes the integration of athletics with the educational missions of colleges and universities. This new journal will be available full text back to its first issue, May 2008.
24	Additional Resources The Halle Library has access to additional resources through Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System(NMRLS) and the Boston Public Library(BPL). Visit the Boston Public Library’s electronic resources and register for an eCard. Any resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Massachusetts property owner, employed in Massachusetts, attending school in Massachusetts or a resident of temporary housing may get a BPL eCard.
25	End of Module 3/Any Questions? This completes Halle Library’s basic instruction on library research and using electronic databases. Please don’t hesitate to ask us if you have any concerns/questions. There are many components to searching, and we’ve just touched on the basic principles here to get you started. Our contact information is on the library page, on the left hand side. Feel free to click on it and contact us. Good luck!