Imagine a world where Google does not exist; seems crazy doesn’t it? How would anyone possibly get any information, especially information needed to write research papers? But the fact is, if Google disappeared right now, never again to be seen, students would still be able to search for all the information needed to write your papers. Yes, you read that correctly! If Google was to suddenly go away and never again exist, you could still do all the research that you need to do to write your papers. But how is that possible? The answer is library databases. The databases available to you through the UNH Library contain a wealth of information spanning many academic disciplines. The types of information available to you through databases include e-books (no special reader like Nook or Kindle needed!), academic journals, magazines, trade journals, newspapers (current and historic), videos, podcasts, and more.
One of the major benefits of using information from databases is that the information contained in the databases is from authoritative sources. Also, rather than generating a random list of results like Google does, a database is structured to show you the different types of sources in your results list. Some databases even help you find similar results if you have found one great article on your topic. Also, many databases such as ERIC (an education database) or Criminal Justice (ProQuest) contain only information specific to a particular subject, so you know that you will retrieve information that is on target.
It is easy to find the right database out of the 100+ databases available to you by going to the subject list of databases at http://www.newhaven.edu/library/Databases/Subject/. Databases on that page are listed by subject so that you can easily find the correct one to use. If you want a more detailed description of any database, look at the annotated list of databases available at http://www.newhaven.edu/library/Databases/Annotated/
If you are unsure about how to use databases, there are many ways to get help. One of the best ways to learn how to use databases is to come into the library and sit down with one of the librarians when starting your research. If you are spending more than 15 minutes looking for information and not finding what you need, it is time to talk to a librarian! You can talk over your assignment and the librarian can give you pointers on how to find the right database, how search the databases and how to understand the results of your search. If you are unable to come into the library for help, you can use one of the library’s many LibGuides. Each topic guide will explain how to find information such as books, databases and more. The guides are online at http://libguides.newhaven.edu. Or, you can email the library for help at [email protected].
