Library Research Guides: General Information Literacy &amp; Library Use: Databases Explained

What is a Database?

EPCC databases:

Are digital repositories of information that contain eBooks, magazines, academic journals, books, newspapers and other materials.
Have various search features that limit searches or broaden searches based on things like date, author, type of resource, etc.
Are usually more reliable than the Internet since the information is controlled.
Are 100% necessary to access for student success within the college.

Additional Boolean Sample Searches!

Ideal Databases for Speech!

CQ Researcher
Provides award winning in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context
Provides social issues viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.
Credo Reference
Credo is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and hundreds of videos.

Online Databases Explained! (Must Watch)

This video explores the El Paso Community College databases and gives you a general understanding of the features and functions while navigating these tools.

Database Searches and Boolean Further Explained!

Think terms, and not sentences while doing your searches!

In-House Book for Academic Databases (eBook)

Academic Search Engines by Jose Luis Ortega
ISBN: 9781843347910
Publication Date: 2014-09-02
Academic Search Engines intends to run through the current panorama of the academic search engines through a quantitative approach that analyses the reliability and consistence of these services. The objective is to describe the main characteristics of these engines, to highlight their advantages and drawbacks, and to discuss the implications of these new products in the future of scientific communication and their impact on the research measurement and evaluation. In short, Academic Search Engines presents a summary view of the new challenges that the Web set to the scientific activity through the most novel and innovative searching services available on the Web.

Boolean Search

Databases perform searches that are much different than searches that are done on Google. Overall, Google uses a natural language when we input searches. Rather than sentences, keywords or terms are used and paired with the phrases AND, OR, and NOT.

Why You Need Databases for Research!

EBSCO Database Importance
EBSCO, well-known database vendor, discussing the benefits of databases in education.

Ideal Databases for Education!

Job & Career Accelerator 5.0
A fully integrated interest assessment, career exploration, and job search platform helps job seekers explore careers that match their interests and expectations and build a personalized occupation knowledge base.
Vocational and Career Collection
Provides vocational and career full text information from more than 350 trade and industry-related periodicals.