Navigating search databases can feel overwhelming at first. A typical database screen shows you a wide range of search options and filters. It also presents multiple ways of downloading and sharing information. Your initial instinct may be to retreat and work with a more familiar interface like Google.
However, learning to use online library tools is worth your time. Most university libraries pre-screen their content. That means you’re much more likely to find reliable and relevant information. Plus, libraries give you free access to hundreds of newspapers, magazines, and newspapers. If you can’t download an article immediately, you can always submit a request via interlibrary loan. You’ll receive a PDF within days.
Ultimately, you want to become familiar and comfortable with the library databases. The more time you spend there, the easier navigation will become.
This post will show you some basic steps of database navigation and loan requests.
1. First, go to your library’s home page and click on “Databases.” Although Quick Search can be useful, it’s often best to visit specific databases created for different purposes. Next, click on “Databases A-Z List:
2. The A-Z List contains more than 200 different databases. That sounds overwhelming at first, but they’re labeled and organized for easier browsing. You can tell almost immediately which databses will help you, and which aren’t relevant. Spend some time browsing the different database offerings:
Academic Search Complete is the most commonly used database. It provides access to a range of different journals across subjects and disciplines. Other databases offer access to publications only within specific fields. Once you click on a specific database, the website may take you to a login screen. You’ll have to enter your information before you can access the full search page.
3. The search page for most databases contains a simple search box. You can search for articles by keyword, title, or author. Most people start with keyword searches. Later, the might become interested in finding specific articles, or want to see a list of all publications by a single author in their field. As you do your research, you may also come across recurring subject terms that the library uses to track articles. These and other fields can help you later. For now, you’ll probably want to focus on keywords only:
4. You’ll also want to filter your results. A standard keyword search can return thousands of entries. There’s no way you can evaluate all of these. The filters help you narrow those results. For example, you can limit the search to articles from specific types of publications like newspapers, or peer-reviewed academic journals. You can also limit by length, language, and other features. Finally, you can click “full text,” so that your search results only contain articles available for immediate download. This filter comes in handy when you’re working on a tight deadline.
5. Search results will appear in a list of articles that contain a lot of publication information, including subject terms and abstracts. At first, it looks very complicated. However, the data provided for each article will help you determine its usefulness. You’ll also see filter options in a sidebar on the left side of your screen. You can hide or expand the sidebar by clicking the arrow:
You’ll see that each entry in your results refers to a different article. It tells you the title. Beneath the title, you’ll see the byline (authors), as well as the publication name and date. That way, you can tell how recent the article was published right away. You may want to avoid articles older than 5 years, depending on your project. The publication information also shows the page numbers and length. This can be helpful as well. Most research projects call for a mix of sources–some long and some short. Finally, you’ll see icons that state “HTML Full Text,” “PDF Full Text,” or “PlumX Metrics.” Clicking on these will give you immediate access to the article:
6. Once you access the article, you can download it by clicking the hovering your mouse at the top corner of the article. A download icon will appear.
Click and save the article to your desktop, or some other place on your computer. It’s important to tell your computer where to save your files. Otherwise, it may automatically save your file with an obscure name in a temporary folder. If that happens, you’ll have a difficult time finding it later. Also make sure you give your article a file name that you can recognize:
7. You can request a scan for any article that’s not available for immediate download. The library provides this service for free. Although it takes a few days for them to deliver a PDF, this can help for projects where you have a longer time frame. Click the “Request Interlibrary Loan” to begin.
8. You’ll probably be prompted to login.
Most of the time, ILLIAD will auto-complete your request. This saves you a lot of time. All you’ll need to do is confirm the information and submit the request.
When you’re done, you’ll navigate to your “Received Articles” list. Use the navigation sidebars on the left side of the screen, under “View.” It may take anywhere from 2-3 days for the article to appear. Once it does, you can view and download the PDF.
Most of the time, research works smoothly once you’ve figured out the basic tools. It may take several days of consistent use to feel comfortable. Don’t worry, you’ll get there. Librarians are also on hand to answer questions when things don’t appear to work the way they should. The library website itself has chat functions and tutorials that can go into more depth on specific aspects of searching. This post has only tried to cover some of the essentials. Your instructor may post additional resources, instructions, and videos to help you through the research process.