library database assignment

English 102 Composition II / Research: Library Databases

• English 102
• Topic Selection
• Library Catalog
• Library Databases
• Website Evaluation
• Is My Source Credible?
• Primary or Secondary ?
• Scholarly or Popular ?
• Peer-Reviewed?
• Refining Your Ideas
• APA Citations
• MLA Citations

What is a library database?

Library databases are the most efficient and fastest way to find in-depth, credible articles for your research..

In them, you can find:

• Online articles from a wide variety of sources (newspapers, magazines, journals, etc.) and covering a variety of subjects that are mostly full-text and are searchable using keywords and search terms.
• Tools so you can find citations for an article, use filters to search for specific date ranges, limit by source type, or locate peer-reviewed or scholarly articles more easily.

Here is another definition:

" A  library database  is a searchable electronic index of published, reliable resources.  Databases  provide access to a wealth of useful research materials from academic journals, newspapers, and magazines. Some  databases  also include e-books, relevant Web resources, and various multimedia. "  ~ from Berkeley College

• REMEMBER: Databases are NOT Internet sources . They require "authentication". In other words, they are accessible to current SVC students only. To access the SVC databases, enter your MySVC/ email/ Canvas username and password to use them.

Searching Library Databases

To search the Skagit Valley College Library Databases, you can start from the library homepage:  https://subjectguides.library.skagit.edu/web . 

There are 2 ways to search databases:

• You can select a database from the dropdown menu:  

       2.Or you can select from the A-Z List:

When off campus , you will be prompted for your login and password.  Enter your mysvc/Canvas login (email address) and password.  

       Login:  [email protected]        Password: ???????????

Selected Library Databases

The library provides many different databases .  

Listed below are a few of the most popular ones that might be helpful for your research assignments:

Facts on File: Issues and Controversies

Points of view reference center, academic search complet e, credo reference   , gale virtual reference library  , proquest , know your sources.

• Know Your Sources A guide to understanding sources

How do I know if I should look in a database?

• Where you look depends on the kinds of information you need. This chart helps where to look for different types of information.
• Good search strategies often include multiple types of sources.
• Be sure to begin by understanding the requirements of your assignment!

Information to the left of the dotted line:

The information to the left of the dotted line is information found on the Internet, which includes Wikipedia, online news sources and broadcast media. This information is produced quickly; sometimes daily, hourly, or second to second. 

Information to the right of the dotted line:

The information to the right of the dotted line includes information in electronic formats (found online) or in print formats. These types of information include books, scholarly journals, encyclopedia articles, and raw data. These information types can take up to months or years to produce. They cannot always be found on the free web (like in a Google search), but  can be found through the library . 

Steps for Searching Databases

1. choose a topic  .

• Choose something that is suits the needs of the assignment and is researchable!

2. PREPARE YOUR SEARCH

• Make a list of keywords or search terms

3. CHOOSE A DATABASE 

• You may choose a general database like Academic Search Complete  ( click for tutorial ) or Proquest  ( click for tutorial ) or check out our full list of databases   to choose one.

 4. KEEP YOUR FIRST SEARCHES SIMPLE 

• Try using 1 keyword first, before trying the Boolean connectors: AND, OR, or NOT to combine 2 or more concepts.

5. REVIEW YOUR RESULTS

• Instead of "dogs" try "service dogs"
• Try a specific group (like "young adults"),
• Try a certain geographical location (like "United States"),
• Try a specific date range (like "2015-2020")
• Instead of "service canines that help with post traumatic stress syndrome", try "service dogs" AND  PTSD OR  trauma

6. GET THE ARTICLE

• Make sure you can locate  full-text articles (pdf or html format) then   email, download or print

7. CHECK THE CITATION

• Almost all of the databases have a tools that will provide a citation in any format for an article. Look to right side for a "cite" button 

8. LOOK AGAIN!

• If you aren't finding what you need, or if you are feeling confident and want to keep going, try looking at other databases or in other sources.

Build a Search Strategy (7:22)

Academic search complete database tutorial, proquest database tutorial.

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• Last Updated: Dec 28, 2023 9:16 PM
• URL: https://subjectguides.library.skagit.edu/ENG102

• Locations and Hours
• UCLA Library
• Research Guides
• Research Tips and Tools

Choosing and Using Library Databases

• Choosing a Database

Tools for Finding Databases

Know what's in the database, using multidisciplinary databases, content databases versus indexes, what about ebscohost and proquest.

• Search Multiple Databases at the Same Time
• Search Terms
• Search Techniques
• Too Many/Few Results
• Locating Materials

Why Use Just One?

• If you don't find what you need in one database, try another!
• Searching a second database for a different but related subject can also provide useful breadth for your topic.
• UCLA Library Research Guides We have research guides for every subject on campus, and every one has a page linking to the major databases in that field, often with advice or tips.
• Browse databases by subject
• A-Z Databases by Title A complete list of UCLA's database subscriptions.

The key to finding the right database is knowing what's in it. Here are some questions to ask about any database before you use it.

What Subject Area(s) Does It Cover?

Note what subject areas are covered to ensure that you are using the correct database for your topic . Searching for engineering articles in APA PsycInfo won't get you far.

In addition, your choice of database will influence the kind of analysis you're likely to find . Searching for "marijuana legalization" will get very different results if you use PubMed (medical studies), PAIS (public policy issues), or Music Index (mostly articles from Rolling Stone ).

What Date Range Does it Cover?

Most databases only cover materials published in the last few decades; there's usually a specific cutoff date . If you're looking for articles or research from before that date, you'll need to use a different database.

In a few databases, you also need to ask " How recent does it get? " Databases of historical materials usually don't go up to the present. And some databases simply exclude the most recent year or two of all journal articles.

What Types of Material Does It Cover?

Most databases index scholarly journal articles , but many cover other types of content, either in addition to or instead of. Some common material types include:

• magazine or newspaper articles
• book chapters
• dissertations
• conference papers
• statistical data
• images, audio, or video

It's easy to figure out that Sociological Abstracts is a good database for your sociology paper, or that you might want to use Biosis for biology. But what about the "multidisciplinary" databases that cover all topics ? Here's a quick run-down of the most commonly used titles.

While some databases are actual collections of online content , most are simply indexes of articles or other materials. They contain citations to the material. Index/​citation databases help you discover and identify useful articles for your topic... but then you still have to actually find them . 

Knowing which type of database you're using tells you what to expect in terms of finding full text and also influences your search terms .

Important Tip

Do NOT limit yourself to full-text databases!

• The articles you discover in a citation-only database may actually be online . Just click on UC-eLinks to find them.
• Many of the "offline" articles will be in the hundreds of thousands of print journal volumes still in the Library.
• Even if UCLA doesn't have an article online or in print, you can usually get a copy scanned and e-mailed to you in a few days via interlibrary loan .

EbscoHost and ProQuest aren't databases. They're companies that host databases. Lots of databases. Their logos appear prominently on the web pages, but knowing which vendor you used doesn't really help narrow the options if you're trying to retrace your search results.

The same situation applies to Thomson Reuters, Springer, Wiley, etc. Saying "I found this article in ProQuest" is like saying "I made this file with Microsoft"—it's true, but not a lot of help in finding the right program to open the file.

See Search Multiple Databases at the Same Time for info on simultaneous searching of databases from the same publisher.

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• Last Updated: Apr 16, 2024 10:40 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucla.edu/databases

Library Research Tutorials

• Chat 24/7 Online with the Libraries Ask us anything! Chat with a librarian, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with any research or library questions.
• Email contact form
• Schedule an online consultation with the Libraries Contact us to schedule an online consultations for personalized research support primarily for University of Minnesota faculty, instructors, graduate and undergraduate students and staff.

Use library databases

• Tutorial: What is a library database and why should I use one?

• Identify what a library database is
• Recognize the two main types of library databases
• Know why you should use them
• Understand why searching a library database is different than searching the general internet
• Tutorial: Database search tips

Improve your searches! This guide will help you:

• Apply search modifiers AND, OR, and NOT to your database searches
• Recognize phrase searching and other advanced search techniques
• Tutorial: Let's talk databases: Academic Search Premier

This video introduces the Academic Search Premier database.

After viewing this video, you will be able to:

• Access the Academic Search Premier database
• Perform keyword searching
• Filter and sort search results
• View the Full text of articles or download a PDF
• Generate a citation right in the database

And finally: you will know how to get Library help if you need it!

• Tutorial: Let's talk databases: APA PsycInfo

This video introduces the APA PsycInfo database.

• Access the APA PsycInfo database
• Tutorial: Let's talk databases: Libraries Search

This video introduces the Libraries Search database.

• Access the Libraries Search database
• Tutorial: Let's talk databases: Google Scholar

This video introduces the Google Scholar database.

• Access the Google Scholar database
• Tutorial: Let's talk databases: JSTOR

This video introduces the JSTOR database.

• Access the JSTOR database
• Tutorial: Let's talk databases: PubMed

This video introduces the PubMed database.

• Access the PubMed database
• Tutorial: Let's talk databases: Web of Science

This video introduces the Web of Science database.

• Access the Web of Science database
• Generate a citation
• Tutorial: How scholarly research gets published in peer-reviewed journals and where to find it all

• Recognize how scholarly research articles come to be published in peer-reviewed journals
• Use a library database to access it all
• << Previous: Plan and organize your research
• Next: Find sources >>

Effective database searching - Tips on searching databases, library catalogue and Discover!

• About Databases

Identify Keywords

Expand your keywords, phrase searching, refine your keywords, advanced search, refinement options, google shortcuts.

• Key databases
• Further reading

There are common search techniques that you can apply to almost any database, including article databases, online catalogues and popular search engines like Google. The techniques described in this guide will help you find relevant results when using LIT library catalogue, Discover!, databases or other online resources. If you search library resources and do not get the results you expect, contact library staff for advice.

Identify your keywords in your assignment or related to your topic.

Before you start searching for information, spend time analysing the question to identify subject words and instruction words.

Do not enter assignment question, very long phrases or sentences into databases. These confuse databases and you will not get accurate results. Pick out the words that indicate the main points of your topic. 

Subject words or keywords are the main ideas or concepts in your topic you will use when searching library catalogue, Discover! or specific databases.     Instruction (action) words tell you how to answer the question and what your essay should do. It is important that you understand exactly what these words mean so that you don’t misinterpret a question. Examples of terms describing actions you may be asked to undertake in your assessment tasks: analyse, compare, comment, define, describe, discuss, evaluate, explain etc.

Try it out!

Source: Academic Writing Basics  by Megan Robertson, licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

• For more examples check Instruction verbs in essay questions

Try to include synonyms in your search. Databases only bring back results which contain the exact words you typed in, so if you include alternative keywords you may find a lot more of relevant material. TIP: Ask yourself "What other words could be used to describe this concept?"

For example, if you are researching a social services related topic take a moment to write down as many synonyms as you can think of – such as community service, social welfare, support services, social care/work etc.

• Use an encyclopaedia or dictionary to find definitions (e.g. Encyclopaedia Britannica online , Cambridge online dictionary, print dictionaries and encyclopaedias in the reference section of the library)
• Use a thesaurus to find related or similar terms.
• Use acronyms and full names (for example: CSO and Central Statistics Office)
• Don’t forget to search for people, places and organisations related to your topic.

Video courtesy of University of Houston Libraries.  

Search for complete phrases by enclosing them in quotation marks “ “. Words enclosed in double quotes will appear together in all results exactly as typed E.g. “social learning theory”

• Truncation is a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings and spellings. For example, comput* will match all words that begin with compu” (e.g., computer, computation, etc.) Truncation symbols may vary by database; common symbols include: *,!,?, or #
• Identify words from different cultures e.g. rubbish/garbage/trash or variant spelling: catalog/catalogue
• Use a wildcard “?”   to substitute a symbol for one letter of a word. This is useful if a word is spelled in different ways, but still has the same meaning e.g. colo?r to search for color and colour, wom?n  to search for woman and women.

Use advanced search screen to be more specific in your search. Multiple search terms in multiple fields can be searched for simultaneously. The advanced search should be used when the collection of interested articles is large and needs to be narrowed. It is also useful when information from more than one field would help in locating items of interest, such as when looking for an author with a common name, which can be narrowed by combining name with subject.

There are refinement options in Discover! and most databases which allow you to refine your search by types of content, specific subject terms and publication dates and more.

There are many shortcuts you can use with Google to get more focused results:

• site: (search only one website) before your search terms (for example: site:ie )
• filetype: (restrict search to specific filetype) for example use filetype:ppt to find PowerPoint presentations,
• filetype:pdf – pdf documents,
• filetype:docx – Microsoft Word documents
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• Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 10:27 AM
• URL: https://lit.libguides.com/effectivedatabasesearching

The Library, Technological University of the Shannon: Midwest

How to Design a Library Research Assignment

• Critical Thinking

Information Literacy Sample Assignments

• Guidelines for an Effective Assignment

Get library help

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Librarians from the Research Engagement and Scholarship  (RES) department are here to help.

Contact an RES Librarian: David Bell Steve Brantley Kirstin Duffin Michele McDaniel Amy Odwarka

These assignments draw upon elements of critical thinking. They are easily adapted to many subjects.   1. Outline a Research Paper. Students plan and perform research, without actually writing a paper. Tasks include developing a research question, providing an annotated bibliography of sources, and writing an introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion. May be used as a stand-alone assignment, or as preparation for a research project.   2. Compare Search Results Between a Free Search Engine and a Library Database. Helps students appreciate the differences between the information found on the "free" Web available through search engines such as Google, and information found in subscription periodical databases such as EBSCO’s Academic Search Ultimate .   3. Critique Wikipedia. Requires students to provide in-depth criticism and analysis of a Wikipedia article. Students examine the bibliography of the Wikipedia entry to see how well it supports the entry itself, and then perform their own research to see if other sources either corroborate or dispute the claims made in the Wikipedia entry. This assignment addresses students’ research and critical analysis skills.   4. Examine Bias. Raises awareness of media bias and employs database research skills. Students locate and cite one article from a conservative publication, and another on the same topic from a liberal publication. Students then compare, contrast and evaluate the two articles.   5. Evaluate Scholarly Research. Students find two journal articles on the same topic, and, in a short paper, compare, contrast and evaluate the two articles according to the quality of their research. This assignment helps sharpen students' skills of critical evaluation, and helps them appreciate the importance of good research.   6. Write a Letter to the Editor. Teaches writing, critical thinking, and research skills. Without doing any research, students write a letter in which they take a position on a contemporary issue. Students then share letters with their classmates, with whom they give and receive feedback on ways that the letter could be substantiated and improved. Students then develop a short research paper from the letter. Adapted and used with permission from St. John’s University Libraries.

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Ideas for Library Assignments: Home

Explore the faculty lab.

As a CSUSB faculty member, you have a unique resource available to you: the Critical Information Literacy Lab for Faculty. 

This online lab offers CSUSB faculty ideas and resources for integrating critical information literacy into their courses. You'll find student tutorials, videos, suggestions for discussion prompts, class activities, and readings that you can customize for use in your course.

Check it out!

• Critical Information Literacy Lab for Faculty

Ask students to create a quick topic map, which helps them think more broadly about their topic before jumping into their searches.

With their topic all spread out in front of them, students can decide which aspects of the topic they want to focus on.

And pop their keywords into OneSearch. Notice they can also limit to peer reviewed journals and by date.

Library Assignments: Challenges

• Library assignments: Challenges students face and how to help Presents information on library assignments in college teaching. Factors that motivate students to accomplish library assignments; Challenges faced by students in doing library assignments; Suggestions for teachers in designing library assignments.

Actual Assignments

These are assignments that CSUSB faculty created and used in their courses.

All these assignments are variations on the suggestions in this guide.

• Annotated Bibliography for Research Journal By Dr. Jacqueline Rhodes
• Annotated Bibliography for Research Reflection By Dr. Kimberly Costino
• Information Literacy Projects for the Quarter By Professor Kathy Hansler
• Invention By Professor Angela Asbell

First Draft

If you like to have students turn in a first draft

Along with the first draft, ask your students to turn in a reflection about their research process.

Their reflection could develop several or all of the following ideas:

• what research tools did you use?
• what kinds of resources (books, articles, web sites) were most useful for your topic?
• how did you decide if the information was credible?
• if you had to do it over what would you do differently?
• what did you learn about your own research process?

Source List

If you ask students to provide a list of sources before they turn in their paper

Along with their source list, ask students to write about how and where they found their sources and why they chose them. 

They could write with any/all of these prompts:

• how did you find this source (library database? Wikipedia? Google? Google Scholar?)
• what specific information did you get from this source?
• how did this source help you to think differently about your topic?

Declaring a Topic

If you have students choose their own paper topic

• Ask your students to turn in their topic along with a short essay describing what they already know about the topic and what they want to learn about it.
• Ask students to explore an online encyclopedia to choose their topic. Print out/save the entry and explain why this topic is of interest to them. Optional: find one of the sources in the entry's bibliography and print it out.
• Search the Library's Online Encyclopedias Show this resource to your students! They can search several authoritative online encyclopedias to get a good, strong overview of their topic before they launch their research.

A Critical Annotated Bibliography

Ask students to write a critical annotated bibliography (with at least 5 entries) on a topic related to your course or their paper. 

Students' annotated bibliography should include title, author, where published, when published, and brief summary of article, chapter, or book. 

What's new about this assignment? Add a piece on evaluation of sources:

After their summary of each source, ask students to write about the source's purpose and audience and its usefulness to the course/topic.

• Evaluating Information, from Penn State Libraries Excellent series of brief videos that address author, content, currency, production, and references. Contemporary tone that appeals to students.

A Webliography for a Topic

Ask students to create a webliography  that identifies and describes credible websites about their topic.

Along with links to websites and their descriptions, students explain why each source is useful to research in their topic. 

Important: students must say what makes each source credible. Encourage them to view the links below to help them figure out what makes a website credible.

Individual webliographies can be combined into a class webliography.

• Evaluating Websites This library guide gives students things to think about as they explore websites.
• Web Literacy for Student Fact Checkers This is a free, online pdf book that has excellent tips and exercises for going "upstream" to the source of online information and searching laterally to determine credibility.
• Last Updated: Jul 6, 2023 4:24 PM
• URL: https://libguides.csusb.edu/assignments

General Library Research Tutorial: Module 4: Searching a Database

• Module 1: Library Orientation
• Module 2: Developing a Topic
• Module 3: Understanding Source Types
• Module 4: Searching a Database
• Module 5: Evaluating Sources
• Module 6: Citing Sources

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Learning Objectives

• Define the term research database.
• Differentiate between a subject and keyword search.
• Build a search using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
• Understand how to use truncation, nesting, phrase searching, and field-specific searching.

What is a Research Database?

A database is a searchable collection of information. Most  research databases are searchable collections of journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Each database contains thousands of articles published in many different journals, allowing you find relevant articles faster than you would by searching individual journals.

Some databases provide the full text of articles. Others provide abstracts , or summaries, only.

Searching a Library database is different from searching the Internet.

Selecting a Database

Selecting the best research databases for your topic is an important step. You need to locate databases that cover your topic within the date range you need.

Find all of our databases on the Academic Databases page (from the Library website, click "Databases" in the menu bar). Use the "Subjects" dropdown menu to select your discipline. Skim through the list of databases to learn:

• Subjects covered
• Types of publications covered (e.g., journal articles, books, etc.)
• Dates covered

Keyword Searching

Keyword searches are similar to Google searches in that the database looks for your search terms wherever they may be on a page. Keyword searches search all available fields (e.g., Title, Author, Abstract, etc.) for the keyword.

In the example record below, you can see the keywords "video games" and "aggressive behavior" in bold in every field where they appear, including the Title, Subject Terms, and Abstract fields.

Subject Searching

Unlike keyword searches, subject searches only return results that include your search term in the subject headings field.

Many databases use a controlled vocabulary , which is a list of standardized subject headings used to index content. You can usually find the database's controlled vocabulary in a section called subject terms or the thesaurus . Use this tool to determine which word or phrase is the one used by the database for a specific concept. For example, since "adolescents" and "teenagers" mean roughly the same thing, a database may choose to index all articles on this topic under "teenagers." That way, a subject search for "teenagers" will also return articles about "adolescents."

In the database Academic Search Complete, we clicked "Subject Terms" in the blue menu bar. We then browsed for the term "adolescents." The search revealed that the preferred term in this database is "TEENAGERS."

Keyword vs. Subject Searching

Databases have different interfaces and use different subject terms, but most provide both keyword and subject searching. Let's take a closer look at the differences between these two search options.

Watch the video below to learn more.

Source: Wayne State University Libraries Instruction. “ Keyword vs. Subject Searching .” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 9 January 2014. Web. 12 May 2017.

Phrase Searching

Place quotation marks around a phrase to search for that exact phrase. Most databases support phrase searching .

Example: A search for "United Nations" (with the quotation marks) will return only results where the two words appear together as a phrase.

For a quick demo, watch the video below.

Source: "Tips and Tricks: Phrase Searching" by North Carolina State University Libraries, licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US License .

Boolean Operators

When you want to combine search terms, you will need to use the Boolean operators , or connectors. This is best done using the advanced search mode. There are three main Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT.

Use AND to retrieve articles that mention  both terms  somewhere in the article. The use of AND generally will retrieve fewer but more focused results .

Example: Childhood obesity AND exercise

Use OR  between two terms to retrieve articles that mention  either term . The use of OR generally will retrieve a  larger set of results . The OR operator is useful when searching with terms that are synonyms or convey the same concept.

Example: Cloning OR genetics OR reproduction

Use NOT to exclude terms . The use of NOT allows you to remove search results containing a specific term. The use of NOT generally will retrieve fewer but more relevant results .

Example: Eating disorders NOT anorexia

Effective use of Boolean operators is essential to sophisticated research. Watch the video below to learn more about Boolean searching.

Source: fuliboutreach. “ Boolean Operators .” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 30 September 2012. Web. 4 May 2017.

Field Specific Searching

A good technique for focusing a database search is to limit your search to a specific field. Do a field-specific search when you are looking for:

• articles in a particular journal
• items published in a particular year or years
• particular keywords in the title
• items written in English only

Example: Search for "Eating Disorders" as a keyword; search for "Gupta" in the Author field; search "Secondary Eating Disorder" in the Title field.

Truncation is a search technique that allows you to search for all variants of a root word at the same time. Enter the root word followed by the truncation symbol. Many databases use the asterisk (*)  for truncation. Others use the question mark (?). Check the Help page for the database you're using to determine which symbol to use for truncation.

Example: The search term plagiar* will return results that include terms:

• plagiarizing
• plagiarized
• plagiarizer
• plagiarizers

Broadening Your Search

Keep in mind that if you're looking for an all-in-one source that addresses your topic perfectly, you might need to change your approach. Watch this short video to learn what to do when you can't find enough resources on your topic.

Source: “One Perfect Source?” by North Carolina State University Libraries, licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US License .

Module 4 Quiz

• << Previous: Module 3: Understanding Source Types
• Next: Module 5: Evaluating Sources >>
• Last Updated: Apr 25, 2024 3:56 PM
• URL: https://researchguides.ben.edu/general-research

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What Makes a Good Library / Research Assignment?

Focusing on Assignments: Engaging Students in Library Research : This collaborative Information Literacy Project was developed by Colorado College and Cornell College. Click on the Assignments button on the left side of the screen to find examples from both colleges. Assessment guidelines are also included.

Ideas for library/information assignments —(Memorial University, Newfoundland): Tips for helping students learn and sharpen research skills.

Research Assignment Tips from Arizona State University

These tips from librarians at the Arizona State University library serve as important reminders of our student’ abilities and needs, and how faculty and librarians can collaborate to create positive research experiences.

The following are general suggestions for designing successful research-based assignments that will produce better outcomes and avoid frustration for both you and your students.

Don’t assume students already have the necessary experience, knowledge or skills for academic research.

• Effective search strategies are different for library research databases vs. the internet.
• Students are unfamiliar with the types of sources available in research databases.
• Students rarely know the difference between scholarly, popular, and trade articles.
• Students do not know about the variety of library tools available, and how to locate the best ones for the job.

Set expectations/guidelines for your assignment

• Be specific about the number and type of sources you want your students to use.
• Stipulate the format, length and citation style.
• Provide examples or models of successful projects.

Clarify what you mean by web/internet/online sources

• If you tell your students “you can’t use the web (or internet or online) to find sources”, students might interpret this to mean all electronic information resources including those found online through the library.
• Many scholarly journals and books are available exclusively in electronic format and print counterparts may not be available.
• Explain what a peer-reviewed journal/article means. Is this the same to you as a scholarly or academic journal/article?

Provide opportunities for students to evaluate their sources.

• One frequently overlooked but important component of good research is the evaluation of each individual source for usefulness and relevance.
• Provide students an opportunity to annotate, rate or make a case for how they will use the source in their paper.

Recognize that research is a process

• Discuss the research process in class to acknowledge its importance.
• Divide assignments into incremental parts that align with the process.  For example: topic proposal, chronicling search strategies, initial bibliography, revised bibliography, practice paraphrasing and/or quoting sources, rough draft, and final paper.
• Breaking down the research process makes it less daunting for the students. They will be less prone to plagiarize and will produce stronger papers.  

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Library Research: A Quick Guide for Writing Assignments

• How to Use This LibGuide

Understanding Your Research Assignment and Developing Search Terms

Online thesaurus.

• Developing Search Terms and Strategies
• How to Organize Your Research Sources
• Find Background Information
• Library Databases for Peer-Reviewed Articles
• Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
• Writing Center Resources
• Learning Commons: Drop-In and Online Library, Math, Writing, and Tutoring Support

Choosing good search terms will help you find the information you need

Search terms - nouns, keywords, subjects

Start with the terms you find in your assignment

Assignment Example:

Find 2-3 articles using two different library databases to find information about stress and i t's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional impacts.

• Main Topic - stress
• physical health
• cognitive health
• social health
• emotional health

Create a list in your notebook that lists primary search terms and their alternatives:

• Stress - physical and mental pressure, tension, hardship, strain
• Physical - body, muscles, heart, cardiovascular, stomach, gastrointestinal
• Cognitive (psychological) - mental, in the mind, subconscious, unconscious
• Social - people, community, group, interactive
• Emotion/al - feelings (anger, frustration, anxiety, depression, etc.)

NOTE:  Use a thesaurus (linked below) to build your list. Add additional terms you come across in the articles you find.

• Use the search terms alone -- stress
• Use the search terms in combination -- "mental stress"  "physical stress" 

Notice how stress is described in articles to learn about its  impact

When you are writing you will describe the following:

• age of onset 
• childhood, family, school
• people's experiences

These descriptions will help you write about the impact of stress on a person's physical, mental, cognitive, and emotional health.

• Merriman-Webster Online Dictionary
• Thesaurus by Merriman-Webster Search more than 275,000 synonyms, antonyms, related words, and idiomatic phrases. Find concise definitions pinpointing the meaning shared by synonyms, and sample sentences showing how words are used in context. The thesaurus is more than just a list of synonyms; it is your guide to more precise and effective use of language.
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• Next: How to Use Western Library Databases >>
• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 2:04 PM
• URL: https://westerntc.libguides.com/ResearchWriting

• Arizona State University

A-Z Databases

Starting points.

Academic Search Ultimate

Google Scholar (with Library Links)

Gale eBooks

Library One Search

ASU Library Website

Library Guides

Ask a Librarian

Report a Technical Problem

BREPOLiS Databases

We are working to restore access to the Database of Latin Dictionaries, In Principio, International Medieval Bibliography Online, and Library of Latin Texts as soon as possible.

Japan Knowledge

Outage notice: Scheduled maintenance for the Japan Knowledge database will occur Friday, May 24, 2024 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (Arizona MST)

New and trial databases

Search the Associated Press Corporate Archive for events, people, and trends from the mid-1800s through the twentieth century.

Provides a comprehensive guide to art galleries, auction houses, art fairs, and agents from multiple national and historical contexts. This digital resource is designed to serve the expanding research areas of art market studies, art historiography and provenance research.

A dynamic digital hub for interdisciplinary research in fashion and dress. Peer-reviewed content includes major reference works, exclusive articles, scholarly eBooks, case studies, biographies, lesson plans, bibliographic guides, textbooks, video content, runway and backstage photos from fashion shows, and tens of thousands of images from museums around the world. Includes the Berg Fashion Library , Fairchild Books Library , Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases , Bloomsbury Fashion Photography Archive , Bloomsbury Fashion Video Archive, Bloomsbury Dress and Costume Library .

A digital resource dedicated to historiography and the examination of historical theory and methods using a global approach, featuring scholarship in the form of exclusive articles contributed by historians from many different countries.

Encompasses a broad selection of business disciplines, providing access to 495 active full-text journals, active indexed and abstracted journals, including more than 3,000 peer-reviewed journals, alongside rigorously curated and indexed open access (OA) journals. It also features more than 75,000 Associated Press videos, dating from 1930 to the present, updated monthly.

A definitive resource for nursing and allied health research, offering extensive full-text coverage from top journals in the CINAHL index and over 50 nursing specialties. Includes instructional videos alongside quick lessons, evidence-based care sheets, CEU modules, and research tools to support nursing education and practice.

Alternate titles: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature

Ebart is a database of articles from print media in Serbia and includes titles such as Politika, Danas, and Kurir, among others. It covers news articles from 2003 to present. Content in Serbian, no English language version is available. 

Due to the copyrights of the publishers of the print media, the Newspaper Archive respects the mandatory deferment and is at least ten days behind the daily newspapers and weekly magazines. 

A comprehensive archive offers digitized versions of the U.S. and U.K. editions of Harper's Bazaar from 1867 to present, featuring high-resolution images and searchable texts, providing deep insights and detailed indexing of over 150 years of fashion, culture, and societal trends.

Since 1984, the Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, has been dedicated to gathering the greatest award-winning early cinema, foreign cinema and Hollywood films from around the world. This collection includes 590 films, presented uncut, as its maker intended it to be seen.

A comprehensive and authoritative guide to Classical Studies, providing access to essential primary sources and electronic resources.

A peer-reviewed guide to literature and resources in the field of international law. 

An up-to-date and reliable starting point for research in social work, providing a curated filter to the vast and growing literature in the field.

Note: Trial Access will expire May 24, 2024

Designed to help business researchers balance theoretical and practical learning, and acquire the research skills that will make them successful in their courses and careers, ProQuest One Business is a complete business library containing millions of full-text items across scholarly and popular periodicals, newspapers, market research reports, dissertations, books, videos and more. Please provide feedback on this trial .

A comprehensive, multi-format destination for teaching, learning, and research in the field of education covering educational leadership, educational technology, pedagogy, education policy, special education, and many other areas. Millions of full-text items including scholarly journals, videos, dissertations, reference work, grey literature, popular news sources, and more are supplemented by Topic Pages covering Educational Theories, Featured Topics, Policies, Key Theorists, and Research Concepts. Please provide feedback on this trial .

For scholars who must engage with an exhaustive and diverse set of scholarly resources around a given literary topic for research and course planning. It contains 5 million literature citations from thousands of journals, monographs, dissertations, and more than 500,000 primary works – including rare and obscure texts, multiple versions, and non-traditional sources like comics, theatre performances, and author readings. Please provide feedback on this trial .

A comprehensive multi-format destination for teaching, learning, and research in the fields of psychology, counseling, and numerous other behavioral science disciplines, such as social work or industrial-organizational behavior management. Millions of full-text items including scholarly journals, videos, transcripts, dissertations, popular news sources, and more are supplemented by Topic Pages covering Presenting Conditions, Therapeutic Approaches, Tests & Measures, Research Concepts, and various Featured Topics. Please provide feedback on this trial .

A statistics portal that integrates data on markets, industries, media, business, finance, politics, population, opinion, lifestyles and a wide variety of other areas of interest. Provides ready-made charts, graphs, and tables.

Note: This is a trial resource until May 31, 2024 An online reference work that provides authoritative articles about literary and cultural history. Coverage includes English-language, Classical, German, French and Francophone, Hispanic, Italian, Russian, East European, and other world literature.

Please provide feedback on this trial

An extensive collection of 35,000+ video lectures from leading scientific, medical, and engineering conferences, with exclusive supplementary materials and content.

A bibliographic research database offering citations and summaries of articles on urban affairs, community development, urban history, and more, crucial to urban studies. It serves as an essential resource for studying cities and regions across various relevant disciplines.

Conditions of use

Electronic resources are owned by independent providers and are protected by copyright and other laws. They are provided for ASU students, faculty, staff and library users only. ASU is not responsible for the content, format, accuracy or availability of electronic resources.

• Use the resources for personal, educational or research purposes only
• Check the provider's website for permitted uses and restrictions
• Comply with restrictions on use, copying, reproduction, distribution and alteration

You must not:

• Systematically or programmatically or massively copy any of these resources
• Distribute these resources beyond ASU faculty, students and staff
• Sell or otherwise make commercial use of the resources

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.

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Search Site

Search catalog, scientific information literacy: home.

Science Librarian

Tessa Withorn

Ekstrom Library

tessa.withorn @louisville.edu

502.852.8731

Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Math, and Physics

Scientific Information Literacy

Designing Research Assignments with Scientific Information Literacy in Mind

Science literacy and informaiton literacy go hand in hand. STEM students need to be able to

Assignment Ideas

• Source Types
• Scholarship

Don't limit students to just peer-reviewed journal articles. Students should understand that perspectives come in different packages for different audiences and purposes. Ask students to compile an annotated bibliography on a topic and find a variety of sources including:

• Primary research articles
• Review articles
• News articles
• Encyclopedia articles

In their summary, students should describe what knowledge the source contributes to the topic and how the source compares to other sources in the bibliography. 

Explain the process of scientific communication.

Ask students to evaluate the outputs of one or more generative AI tools. In their reflection, students should include:

• Scientific questions asked
• Their confidence in receiving the correct answer
• Verification of the information from another outside source
• STEM Companion Document to the ACRL Framework
• ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology
• ASEE Information Competency Standards for Engineering Students
• Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergraduates

Engineering Librarian

Kristina Bloch

kristina.bloch @louisville.edu

502.852.2371

Engineering & Technology

• Last Updated: May 9, 2024 10:02 AM
• URL: https://library.louisville.edu/ekstrom/STEM-IL

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We read every piece of feedback, and take your input very seriously.

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Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly.

To see all available qualifiers, see our documentation .

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1. create a database called 'assignment' (Note please do the assignment tasks in this database)

MoinDalvs/EXCELR_Data_Analyst_SQL_Assignment_Part1

Folders and files, repository files navigation, excelr_data_analyst_sql_assignment_part1, download link for sql database, 2. create the tables from consolidatedtables.sql and enter the records as specified in it..

use assignment;

3. Create a table called countries with the following columns

-- name, population, capital -- choose appropriate datatypes for the columns

-- a) Insert the following data into the table

-- b) Add a couple of countries of your choice

-- c) Change ‘Delhi' to ‘New Delhi'

4. Rename the table countries to big_countries

Rename table countries to big_countries;

5. Create the following tables. Use auto increment wherever applicable

-- a. Product -- product_id - primary key -- product_name - cannot be null and only unique values are allowed -- description -- supplier_id - foreign key of supplier table

6. Enter some records into the three tables.

7. modify the supplier table to make supplier name unique and not null., 8. modify the emp table as follows.

-- a. Add a column called deptno

-- b. Set the value of deptno in the following order

-- deptno = 20 where emp_id is divisible by 2 -- deptno = 30 where emp_id is divisible by 3 -- deptno = 40 where emp_id is divisible by 4 -- deptno = 50 where emp_id is divisible by 5 -- deptno = 10 for the remaining records.

9. Create a unique index on the emp_id column.

10. create a view called emp_sal on the emp table by selecting the following fields in the order of highest salary to the lowest salary..

-- emp_no, first_name, last_name, salary

American is sentenced to 10 days in jail for reportedly breaking into a Russian children's library

TALLINN, Estonia — An American English-language tutor was arrested in Moscow on hooliganism charges for breaking into a children’s library while intoxicated and was sentenced to 10 days in jail, state news agency RIA-Novosti reported Tuesday .

News reports said William Russell Nycum was found in the library on Friday after breaking a window to gain entry.

Nycum was in Russia on a six-month tourist visa, staying with acquaintances and working as an English instructor, the reports said.

The arrest comes at a time of heightened tension between Russia and the United States centering on Russia’s war in Ukraine, and increasing concern about Americans detained in Russia.

U.S. officials on Monday said an American soldier has been detained in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on charges of stealing from a Russian girlfriend whom he met while stationed in South Korea.

Russia is holding several Americans, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March 2023 on espionage charges. The U.S. government has designated both as wrongfully detained and has been trying to negotiate their release.

Others detained include  Travis Leake , a musician who had been living in Russia for years and was arrested last year on drug-related charges; Marc Fogel, a teacher in Moscow who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, also on drug charges; and dual nationals  Alsu Kurmasheva  and  Ksenia Khavana .

The Associated Press