Research Guide: Search Databases

Use either the Basic Search or Advanced Search features to find articles from journals, newspapers, and magazines, as well as other published materials such as eBooks, photographs, videos, and more.

• Search for broad topics that are interdisciplinary and not too specific.
• Start your research by using the main search feature in GALILEO before moving to subject-specific databases or journals.
• It's always best to use the Advanced Search option so that you can customize your search terms.

You can Browse by Subject to find articles for general research, as well as identify databases that have materials other than academic articles, such as government records or industry profiles.

• Select the subject that's most relevant for your information needs to see a list of recommended databases.
• Read the descriptions to determine which best fits what you're looking for.
• If you start using one database and don't like your search results, go back to the subject page and try another database.
• It's best to try all of the databases and familiarize yourself with what they offer so that you can get diverse search results.

You can Browse by Type to find a specific kind of material. In addition to primary sources, you can find dictionaries, encyclopedias, images, maps, multimedia, newspapers, statistics, and more.

• Instead of using Wikipedia to get basic, background information on a topic or person, you can use the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.
• It's okay to cite the encyclopedia in a footnote as additional information that doesn't flow well in your paper, but remember to use evidence from scholarly articles to support the claims that you're making in your research papers.