How to Find Information in the Library Tutorial: Module 2: Databases

• Navigate various search results screens

Searching Individual databases is a great way to focus your research. Searching databases is very similar to using OneVU. For this Module, we will be using Academic Search Complete as our database. To access the database, go the the Library's homepage, click on Databases A-Z, and then click the Academic Search Complete link near the top of the list. 

Remember: Make sure you're logged into VUX before using any of the databases.

Search Box & Result List

The search box in Academic Search Complete looks like this:

Once you do a search, underneath the title of each result, you will find:

1. Source Type: What type of article it is, such as Academic Journal, Magazine, Newspaper, etc. You will want to pay attention to this as some of the results may not be useful to you, such as abstracts or book/article reviews.
2. Author and Journal Information.
3. Subjects
4. Link to the PDF or webpage of the article (only if we have Full-Text access)

Search Options (Limiters)

On the left side of the results screen, you will find many options to refine and limit your results.  This will help you narrow down the results to find exactly what you need. Some of the options that you may find useful are:

1. Full Text: Selecting this option will guarantee that the entire article is available for you to access and read online. If you do not select this, some of your results may just be abstracts, which are summaries of articles but not the actual article itself. If you find an abstract of an article you would like to read, you can request that article through Interlibrary Loan. To learn how to submit a request through Interlibrary Loan, click here.
2. Peer Reviewed: Oftentimes, your professor will ask you to find articles that are peer reviewed. How can you find an article that is peer reviewed in one of our databases? All you have to do is select the peer reviewed option when limiting your search parameters. A peer reviewed resource is one that has been reviewed by acknowledged experts in the related field of study of the publication. For example, a peer reviewed medical journal article would be reviewed by doctors, scientists, and other medical professionals.

Item Record

Clicking on the title of a search result will take you to the item record, where you can find more information about the article such as:

1. Abstract: A summary of the article
2. Tools: Including a citation tool, email, and more.

Still not sure what to do? What this video!

Next: Module 2 Quiz >>