Databases

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

• How do I access online databases?

  • Most databases and other resources, like NoodleBib, will detect when you are using the Grier Network and automatically log in.
  • If you are off Grier's network, you will need a username and password.
  • Contact the librarian to get these usernames and passwords.

• What is a database?

  Databases are Web-based resources that primarily provide users with access to periodical literature, including magazine, newspaper, and journal articles along with other documents that often cannot be found on the regular Web. Some databases also include reference literature, such as dictionaries, almanacs, and encyclopedias.
  
  

  Some databases are general and cover all kinds of topics, while others are subject specific.
  
  

  Databases are updated frequently by professionals and experts; information from them is considered credible.
  
  

  Each database allows users to email, print, and cite the article they are viewing. Some databases allow users to translate the articles into other languages or stream mp3 audio versions of the text.

• When should I use a database for research?

  Use a database when you are:
  
  

  • Researching a current event
  • Seeking recent information
  • Wanting information from scholars or professionals in a particular field
  • Seeking multiple viewpoints on a topic
  • Want credible, up-to-date information on a topic

• Why should I use a database?

  In a library, the librarian selects materials that provide students with credible information. "Credible" means that the author did his or her research properly and can provide readers with true FACTS. On the open Internet (what you can get by going to Google or Yahoo or MSN), there is information on anything you can imagine. The problem is that you must carefully judge what information is CREDIBLE, and what is FALSE.
  
  

  You have to ask questions like:
  
  

  • Who made this web page? Are they an expert on the topic?
  • Where did they get their information? Do they list books and articles they used?
  • Why did they make this page? Are they trying to sell me something? Are they trying to persuade me to believe something?
  • When did they get their information? Is it up-to-date?

  The good news is that when you use an online library database, the information is from reliable sources. You can trust it. This is partly because all the articles and pictures and information that get put into a database have been reviewed by an editor. Plus, sometimes your teachers don't want you to use regular Web sites, so it's good to use electronic databases then, too. The electronic databases make it easy for you to cite articles. Don't know how? Ask the Librarian to show you!
  
  

  ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT
  

  Who can put information up on the Internet?

  Everyone! You, me, and that online troll who believes the earth is flat.
  
  

  Who can write a published book that will go in the library? Who can write a newspaper article that gets put into an electronic database?

  Not everyone. Only a few people who have done their research.
  
  

  What about Wikipedia?

  For a lesson on the strengths and weaknesses of Wikipedia, check out this short video: