Reviewing What We Learned about Searching Databases

We're all quite used to searching for information on the web using a search tool like Google, but searching library databases might be something we're less familiar with. The best way to improve our searching skills is to jump in and try it, so hopefully the exercises in this module have helped with that.

Keep in mind that all search tools have their advantages, but as researchers, it's our responsibility to know when to use which source.

• Although most people would agree that we shouldn't cite Wikipedia articles in our college research papers, Wikipedia is a good place to confirm a piece of information, get an overview of a topic we're unfamiliar with, or find links to sources for our research.
• Using Google to search the web is useful for some research purposes; for example, that would be the best place to find information from government offices and agencies.
• Library databases provide us with access to a large collection of popular and scholarly sources in multiple formats (books, videos, articles, etc.). In addition, they also allow us to get copies of the resources, as well as citations for our bibliographies, references, or works cited.

When we search, we need to identify the best search terms for our topic, and try different combinations of these search terms in different databases to make sure we're getting the best results. Luckily, there are techniques we can use such as using OR to broaden our search results, or using AND, NOT, or quotation marks to narrow down our search results.

Help

And, of course, if we ever get stuck, librarians are there to assist us. Keep in mind this rule: If you've been searching for 5-10 minutes and can't find anything on your topic, contact a librarian. After all, a librarian's job and passion is to help people find information.