2. The Information Landscape: Thinking About Research Databases

This video series focuses on the "information landscape" as it pertains to college research. It is a work-in-progress. Your feedback is welcome.

What is a database?

Once upon a time...

The public expected published information to be carefully evaluated by knowledgeable editors.

That meant they believed they could rely on it.

Once upon a time...

all the information could be found in

books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and so on.

Today, a lot of these resources still exist in their traditional formats.

However, many of these resources are also being published in electronic editions,

and some are only being published in electronic formats.

Where can I find these electronic editions?

Libraries often buy research databases in order to build collections of electronic resources.

These databases offer electronic editions of

books,

journals, magazines, newspapers, and other information.

If you belong to a specific library,

you can use their research databases to track down books and academic articles

on the Internet.

These are sources you generally won't find though Google or Yahoo,

because they are commercial products and not made available to the whole world for free.

Google works for me!

We all know Google is easy to use.

Type a few words in the search box--and away you go.

Yet, the links you uncover may or may not be useful.

You will certainly want to evaluate the pages you choose for

credibility, accuracy, authority, bias, currency, and other criteria.

Besides, it is easy to to talk yourself into the idea

that you've found enough sources,

when you've probably just scratched the surface.

Searching a research database

will take a few more steps,

steps that are sometimes hard to remember.

Yet, the extra time it takes to open up your library's website

and log in to a specific database

could save you hours of time down the road.

And you are much more likely to discover better coverage of your topic, written by experts.

It's even easier to come up with a citation

when you use a research database.

Where are these research databases?

These days, most college libraries,

and many public libraries,

provide research databases, such as

Academic Search Premier,

Academic Onefile,

Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

CQ Researcher,

and Newspaper Source Plus.

To locate them, go to your library's website

and look for headers and links containing words, like

databases, electronic resources, eCollection, articles, or eBooks.

Search for the database of your choice

and log in.

If you aren't sure of how to find your username and password,

look for this information on your library's website.

Once you have logged in, you will usually see a search box,

one offering many features that should allow you to effectively pinpoint the sources you need.

Of course,

each database works a bit differently,

but if you try several different databases,

you will begin to notice more similarities than differences.

It's just too hard!

It does take time to become an expert searcher.

And if you ever intend to do extensive research,

you may want to dig in and learn how to use your favorite databases well.

Yet, the novice searcher

should be able to uncover plenty of useful sources with some rudimentary searches.

Search tip:

If, after poking around in a research database, you cannot find what you need,

try turning to a librarian.

You can even find one online.

I still think it's easier to use Google.

Consider this:

Even if you find a web edition of a traditionally published source on your topic,

such as a newspaper article,

your overall coverage is sure to be less substantive, spotty even.

Remember!

The experts don't work for free.

While they may allow some of their work to appear on open web,

they are more likely to protect their intellectual property.

In other words,

they will generally publish their work in books, journals, magazines, and newspapers.

If you begin your research project by tracking down work written by experts,

your own work is sure to be stronger.

Does this mean I should never use Google?

Not at all.

In this video series,

the term traditionally published

is being used to describe the resources that have been available to researchers for hundreds of years

in books,

academic journals,

magazines,

and newspapers.

It is an information landscape that was often subjected to rigorous evaluation

before it was made available.

Again, much of this information still exists

in old and new formats

and is still being published today.

It is still worthy of being mined for college research.

Is the World Wide Web useful to college researchers--the open web, I mean.

It's up to you.

If you want to be the one who rises to the top of the job application pile,

or the one who receives a college acceptance letter,

take the time to understand the overall information landscape.

Understand the difference between the open web and electronic resources available in research databases.

Understand the difference between a piece that has gone through an editorial review process by a reputable organization or company,

and a piece that has been written by an interested citizen.

Know what you are reading, who wrote it, and why.

Understand where the best resources can be found.

Learn to write.