A Library database typically include scholarly journal articles, popular magazine articles and newspapers, books, and videos. The content of a research database is also reviewed and updated regularly. Library databases cannot be accessed through search engines or the open web. Many resources require a University of Dundee logon.
Search engines such as Google searches for results across the internet, including websites. Most information found through a search engine is free.
Search engine searches tend to be keyword/question and on broad topics. Database searches have more functionality where you can focus your specific topic by using searching techniques such as Boolean.
Here's are a few of the general databases available through the Library:
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Database/ Search Engine |
Pros |
Cons |
Rating for academic work |
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University of Dundee Library Catalogue which covers all subjects Access to books, ebooks, journal articles |
Full text access to all online resources Use red arrows to find references/cited by papers that you will get full text access to |
Can be tricky to search |
***** |
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A general social science database covering all subjects including articles in science, technology, medicine, social science, health and arts and humanities |
Excellent database for mental health. Cited by option helps to |
You may not get full text access to all papers Can be difficult to access off campus |
**** |
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Interdisciplinary database including Social Science and Science fields including public health, psychology and psychiatry. Provides various journals in medicine, science, social sciences including humanities |
Can be useful for international perspectives. Cited by option useful. |
You may not get full text access to all papers Duplication with Medline, Pubmed, CINAHL |
*** |
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Searches across scholarly literature including articles |
Useful for a basic, broad search to begin with |
You may not get full text access to all papers The quality of articles can be difficult to assess |
*** |
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is a general search engine - searching the internet for webpages from your search words |
Useful for searching for Government policies, Guidelines, general information |
You may not get full text access to all papers searching via Google Use with caution - try to avoid patient information websites & charity organisations for academic purposes |
* |
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publishers' searchable webpage for Elsevier. Topics cover Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities |
Search for peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters |
Limiting your search to 1 publisher is not ideal. Off campus access can be tricky. You may not get full text access to all papers |
** |
1. Look at the reference list at the end of journal articles and book chapters to find other useful references. Then try and find relevant ones to use in your piece of work. If you're lucky (and looking at the articles/books online) some may have a hypertext link which might open other articles for you.
2. In many databases, you get the option cited by. This means that you can follow a particular cited reference to more current articles which have also cited that research. The higher the number of cited by sometimes indicates the quality of the research too.
3. Another option is related reading. Have a look at the related reading suggestions that sometimes appears on search pages. These might give you other papers or ideas for your assignments.
Google Scholar is a better alternative to just using Google for academic purposes.
Google Scholar broadly searches for academic literature such as journal articles. It can tell you how many times an article has been cited and by whom, and provides citations for articles in a number of styles.
Search Tips with Google Scholar.
But, there are disadvantages of Google Scholar
This video by Deakin Library describes the peer-review process.
You can find more information about the peer review process in the following document