Using Databases

What is a database?

• A database is simply a collection of data which can be searched for a particular piece of information.
• The Library's databases include indexes to articles and full text collections of materials such as newspapers, journals, statistical publications, encyclopaedias and legal materials.
• You can search databases for information on specific topics by using key words or concepts relevant to your topic.

What is the Library Portal?

• The Library Portal is a search interface which allows you to search up to ten databases or library catalogues at the same time, and to link from your search to full text resources and other services. Additional features include the ability to select favourite resources and ejournals, save searches and records, and set up email alerts.
• For further information or help in using the Library Portal please consult the Quick Guide to the Portal and The Library Portal FAQ.

Who can use the Murdoch Library databases?

• The Murdoch Library databases are available to all Murdoch University staff and students. Some databases may be used by members of the public, in the library only. Conditions of Use for Journal Databases apply to the use of most databases.

When should you use the databases?

• Use the Library's databases or Portal to search for articles on a topic.


• Do not use the databases or Portal to look for articles if you already have the necessary details to find the articles - these are known as the citation details and include the author's name, article title, journal title, volume, issue and page numbers.
  If you have these citation details for an article (e.g. from a reading list), you can use Citationlinker to find out if the article is available online.
  
• You can also check a journal title in the Library's catalogue.

Where can you access databases?

• Murdoch University staff and students can access the Library's databases from within the Library and in most instances from elsewhere on campus through the Library's Databases page. Most (but not all) databases are also accessible from off campus with internet access - please see Off Campus Access for further details.

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Do you need passwords to access the databases?

• Off campus access to databases, for Murdoch staff and students only, requires a Murdoch username and Murdoch password.
• Very few library resources require individual logins and passwords. In most cases, these logins and passwords are available from the Library's passwords list (Murdoch Username and Password required).
• Some password restricted resources are available for Murdoch University staff, postgraduate and honours students only. Contact the staff at the Reference Desks at the Murdoch, Rockingham or Peel Campus Libraries in person, by phone on 08 9360 6838, or by email using our Ask a Librarian service for details.
• The entries for resources on the Databases pages will indicate if a password is required. Check the More Info notes for individual resources to find out how to obtain the required details.
• Please contact the staff at the Library's Reference/Help Desk if you need further assistance.

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Which databases should you use?

• If you know the name of the database you wish to search, select it from the Browse by Database Title or the Quick Links to Major Databases option on the Databases page.
• If you are unfamiliar with the databases, use the Browse by Subject Area option on the Databases page to find databases relevant to your subject area - each database in the list has a brief description of its contents. Key databases are listed first. If you need more information about a database, select the More Info option to the right of the screen.
• The Library's Subject Guides may also refer you to relevant subject databases.
• You can also ask the Librarian at the Reference/Help Desk for advice.
• Use the Library Portal to search across databases.

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What are full text databases?

• Full text databases contain the complete text of publications i.e. they may include the entire text of articles published in newspapers, journals, statistical publications, encyclopaedias and legal materials.
• In most cases the majority of articles (but not all) are available in full text databases.

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Are all databases full text?

• No, some databases do not include the full text of articles. These databases are known as indexing databases, and they will usually give you the citation details for an article e.g. author's name, article title, journal title, volume, issue and page numbers, and possibly an abstract or summary of what the article is about.

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In what format do full text articles appear?

• Full text articles are usually accessible in pdf, text or html format.
• Pdf articles are scanned into a database directly from the printed journal, magazine or other resource, so the layout and look of these articles is exactly as they appear in the printed resource.
• To access pdf articles, you will need to have the Adobe Acrobat software loaded on the machine you are using. Murdoch has a software download site where you can obtain copies of such software without incurring any download charge against your quota.
• Text articles are reproduced in plain text format without the layout look from the printed resource - they are usually quickly accessible, and the print quality may be superior to the pdf format. Many text articles also have hyperlinks to additional information.
• Html articles are reproduced using hypertext markup language, and generally include hyperlinks to additional information.

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What if a database does not include full text articles?

• If a database does not include the full text of an article, look to see if the database record includes an SFX button, which will allow you to link from the citation to a list of services for that item.
• Click on the SFX button to:
• View the full text of an article online, if available


• Check the Murdoch Library Catalogue to see if we have the item


• Check other library catalogues to see if another WA library has the item


• Search the Web for the title of an article


• Request help from our Ask a Librarian Service
• Different options will be offered depending upon the citation you select.
• Not all databases include SFX Findit buttons.
• For further information on SFX click here.
• If a database does not include SFX Findit buttons, look to see if there is a direct link to the Library's catalogue to check journal availability. If such a link is not provided, check the journal title in the Library's catalogue as a separate step.
• If the Murdoch Library does not hold a particular journal, you may need to search Catalogues at Other Libraries or Libraries Australia for the journal.

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Why can you not access some recent articles in full text databases?

• Some publishers place an embargo or restriction on access to the full text of current articles in databases.
• The period of embargo may vary from journal title to journal title, but is usually for no longer than 12 months from date of publication.

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What are "scholarly", "refereed" or "peer-reviewed" publications?

• "Scholarly" publications are usually written by academics and mainly for an academic audience, they are often published by a recognized body or society, and they usually do not have a glossy appearance.
• In "peer-reviewed" or "refereed" publications, the articles are approved by a body of peers (i.e. experts in the same subject field as the authors) before they are published - this helps to ensure that they are of a high standard. Articles from non-refereed journals may also meet the same standards, but no body of peers has reviewed or approved the articles.
• Most scholarly publications are peer-reviewed.
• In some databases you will be able to limit (i.e. narrow) your search to articles that are peer-reviewed or refereed.
• In other databases you will need to look at the search help or tips screens to find out if the journals indexed by the database are peer-reviewed (refereed) or not.
• You can also find out if a journal is refereed or not in Ulrich's Periodicals Directory.

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What is 'search logic'?

• 'Search logic' is a phrase used to describe the logic of searching electronic databases; it forms the basis of how databases actually work and return results.
• An understanding of search logic will help you to retrieve the most relevant results from a database in an efficient way.
• For most databases, the basis of search logic is the input of keywords or key phrases that best describe the topic - the database will then use these keywords to locate relevant results.

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Searching databases with keywords

• To find material on a topic search relevant databases by inputting keywords or key phrases which best describe your topic.


• You may input a single keyword or key phrase into a database if that best describes what you are looking for.

E.g. schizophrenia
E.g. organisational theory

• Think of alternative keywords, synonyms and alternative spellings which may also be used to describe your topic.

E.g. primary education = elementary education
E.g. behavioural pyschology = behavioral psychology

• If there are several keywords or key phrases that describe your topic, you will need to search for some or all of these concepts by combining the keywords using AND OR NOT.

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Using AND OR NOT

• Search logic requires that your keywords be combined in the right way for the database to effectively process your search.
• This search logic may be referred to as Boolean search logic (or Boolean logic), and uses the terms AND, OR, or NOT.
• These terms are often referred to as Boolean operators which describe the relationship between the keywords.
• AND

AND links keywords and narrows a search. It tells the database to search for and retrieve only those articles which contain both of the keywords.
For example, if you search for children and behaviour, only articles containing both terms will be retrieved.
• OR

OR links keywords and expands or broadens a search. It tells the database to search for and retrieve only those articles which contain either or both of the keywords.
For example, if you search for teenagers or adolescents, you will retrieve articles containing one term or the other, or articles containing both terms.
• NOT

NOT is used to narrow a search. It tells the database to exclude articles which contain the keyword which follows the NOT.
For example, if you search for energy not nuclear, you will retrieve all articles in which "energy" appears, except for those articles which also contain the term "nuclear".
Use NOT with caution as it can sometimes exclude relevant search results.

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Truncation and wildcards

• Most databases allow for a symbol to be used at the end of a word to retrieve variant endings of that word. This is known as truncation.
  E.g. comput* will retrieve compute, computes, computer, computers, computing, computed, computation, etc.
• The truncation symbol can vary from database to database - look at the database search help or tips to find out which truncation symbol is used.
• Use truncation with caution.
  For example, you may want to retrieve items about cats - cat* will retrieve cat and cats, but it will also retrieve cathode(s), catalogue(s), catastrophe, catabolism, catacomb and other words completely unrelated to cats.
• Some databases will also allow you to embed a symbol within a word to replace a single character - this is known as a wildcard, and again the symbol can vary from database to database.
  E.g. behavio$r will find behaviour as well as behavior.
  E.g. wom$n will find woman as well as women.

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Refining your search

• You may need to refine or modify your search if you have retrieved too many or too few results, or the results appear not to be as relevant as you would like.
• To narrow a search and/or to reduce the number of results, consider adding other relevant keywords to your search using AND.

For example, if your initial search was children and obesity, you could narrow the search by adding the key phrase "fast food". i.e. children and obesity and fast food.
• To broaden a search and/or to increase the number of results, consider using truncation, or adding a synonym for a keyword using OR.

For example, if your initial search was children and obesity, you could broaden the search in each of the following ways:
child* and obesity
(child* or teenager*) and obesity

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Other database features

• Many databases offer a variety of search features including limiting options, thesaurus buttons, and field searching.
• To find out what specific features a database offers, refer to the database's search help or tips.

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Using EndNote with databases

• EndNote is personal bibliographic management software which will allow you to:
  1. Organise your references in a database
  2. Create bibliographies automatically using your word processor
  3. Search some databases on the Internet
  
• Some databases (e.g. ProQuest) will allow you to export records directly into the EndNote software, while from others you may be able to save relevant records and import them into EndNote.
• For further information about the EndNote software see the Library's EndNote web pages - you are also strongly recommended to attend an EndNote class.

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