A brief tour of A brief tour of Academic Search Academic Search Premier.Premier. Agenda:Agenda: What is a database?What is a database? Searching keywords and using Searching keywords and using

truncation.truncation. Academic Search Premier demo.Academic Search Premier demo.

What is a database?What is a database? A database is an organized A database is an organized

collection of information records collection of information records that can be accessed electronically. that can be accessed electronically. In the Library this includes indexing In the Library this includes indexing and abstracting databases, citation and abstracting databases, citation databases or databases of full-text databases or databases of full-text journal articles.journal articles.

Also…Also… A database is a collection of data A database is a collection of data

which may be subdivided into which may be subdivided into different fields, for example:different fields, for example:

AuthorsAuthors Titles of articlesTitles of articles Titles of journalsTitles of journals SubjectSubject Etc.Etc.

Databases at BrockDatabases at Brock Brock library has more than 180 databases Brock library has more than 180 databases

available via the Brock website.available via the Brock website. Some have popular and/ or scholarly Some have popular and/ or scholarly

information.information. Some are better for environmental topics, Some are better for environmental topics,

such as GeoRef and JSTOR.such as GeoRef and JSTOR. Some are full-text, especially those Some are full-text, especially those

available through Academic Search available through Academic Search Premier.Premier.

What is full-text?What is full-text? When the whole article is online, When the whole article is online,

or included right in the index. You or included right in the index. You can just print out the article, can just print out the article, instead of having to go find the instead of having to go find the magazine in the library and magazine in the library and photocopy the article.photocopy the article.

It is also…It is also… The entire content of an item, The entire content of an item,

such as an article, book, or such as an article, book, or encyclopedia, available in encyclopedia, available in electronic format.electronic format.

Full text usually appears in two Full text usually appears in two formats: HTML and PDF…formats: HTML and PDF…

Academic Search Academic Search Premier DemoPremier Demo Academic Search Premier,Academic Search Premier,

designed specifically for academic designed specifically for academic institutions, is the world's largest institutions, is the world's largest scholarly, multi-disciplinary full scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database containing full text text database containing full text for nearly 4,650 serials, including for nearly 4,650 serials, including more than 3,600 peer-reviewed more than 3,600 peer-reviewed publications. publications.

Journals include…Journals include… Examples of titles offered in Examples of titles offered in Academic Search Academic Search

PremierPremier include: include: American Historical Review, American Historical Review, American Journal of Political Science, American Journal of Political Science, American Libraries, American Sociologist, American Libraries, American Sociologist, British Journal of Psychology, British Journal of British Journal of Psychology, British Journal of Sociology, Contemporary Literature, English Sociology, Contemporary Literature, English Language Notes, Family Relations, Language Notes, Family Relations, International Journal of Psychology, Journal for International Journal of Psychology, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion, Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism, Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism, Journal of Education, Political Science Quarterly, Journal Education, Political Science Quarterly, Journal of General Psychology, Journal of Genetic of General Psychology, Journal of Genetic Psychology, and the Journal of International Psychology, and the Journal of International Affairs.Affairs.

Using Keywords and Using Keywords and truncation to Searchtruncation to Search Use as many concepts as possible Use as many concepts as possible

to reduce the number of resultsto reduce the number of results Ex. If you wanted to find articles Ex. If you wanted to find articles

on hurricane season in a specific on hurricane season in a specific location then you would want to location then you would want to combine some keywords.combine some keywords.

Let’s use, hurricanes and seasons Let’s use, hurricanes and seasons and climate. and climate.

Boolean LogicBoolean Logic Sometimes a search can be overly Sometimes a search can be overly

general or overly specific. To fine general or overly specific. To fine tune your search, you can use AND, tune your search, you can use AND, OR, and NOT operators to link your OR, and NOT operators to link your search words together. These search words together. These operators will help you narrow or operators will help you narrow or broaden your search to better broaden your search to better express the terms you are looking for express the terms you are looking for and to retrieve the exact information and to retrieve the exact information you need quickly. you need quickly.

The And operatorThe And operator For example, type For example, type hurricane hurricane

and seasonsand seasons to find results that to find results that refer to both hurricanes and refer to both hurricanes and seasons. seasons.

The Or operatorThe Or operator As an example, search As an example, search

hurricanes and seasons or hurricanes and seasons or climateclimate to find results that to find results that reference the terms “hurricane" reference the terms “hurricane" and “seasons", or the term and “seasons", or the term “climate". “climate".

The Not operatorThe Not operator Our final boolean operator is Not.Our final boolean operator is Not. Type: Type: hurricane OR seasons hurricane OR seasons

NOT climateNOT climate to find results that to find results that contain the terms “hurricane" or contain the terms “hurricane" or “seasons" but not the term “seasons" but not the term “climate". “climate".

Truncation.Truncation. Truncation symbols are used to Truncation symbols are used to

create searches where there are create searches where there are unknown characters, multiple unknown characters, multiple spellings or various endings. spellings or various endings.

The truncation symbol cannot be The truncation symbol cannot be used as the first character in a used as the first character in a search term. search term.

How to use truncationHow to use truncation TruncationTruncation is represented by an is represented by an

asterisk (*). To use truncation, asterisk (*). To use truncation, enter the root of a search term and enter the root of a search term and replace the ending with an *. replace the ending with an *.

For example: Hurricanes could For example: Hurricanes could become Hurrican*become Hurrican*

Seasons could become Season* Seasons could become Season* And Climate could become Climat*And Climate could become Climat*

Remember when….?Remember when….? Earlier when we searched Earlier when we searched

Hurricanes and seasons and Hurricanes and seasons and climate, this is what our results climate, this is what our results looked like…looked like…

Let’s see…..Let’s see….. What our results look like when What our results look like when

we truncate our terms…we truncate our terms… HurricanesHurricanes Season*Season* Climat*Climat*

How to search How to search Academic Search Academic Search PremierPremier