Finding an article on your topic / selecting a database

If you are looking for a magazine, journal or newspaper article on a specific topic you will need to search a database in order to find it. Even if you want to find a hard copy (non-electronic) article or your professor said not to use any internet resources you will need to use a database.

How do I access the library's databases?

To access the library's databases go to the library's homepage and click on the "Find Articles & More link shown below.

How do I pick a good database for my topic?

Each database covers specific subject areas and date ranges, although there may be some overlap between them. They also cover different types of materials such as articles, book, conference proceedings, reports, dissertations, etc. You'll want to select a database that meets your needs.

In some cases you will not know which database is best for your topic. If this is the case begin your search in our subject list by selecting "Not sure which resource to use?Choose from our subject list."

The subject list divides the databases into RU academic majors and disciplines. It also includes categories for "Current Events and News" and "Newspapers." Choose the subject that most closely matches your topic. Once you have selected to relevant subject click on "Go."

Below is the subject page for Criminal Justice. Highlights for items of interest have been added to this handout. They are explained below.

What does all of this mean?

- The subject pages have been divided into three sections. The "Try these first" section contains the most recommended database(s) in the subject, and the top database listed here is the most highly recommended one. Sometimes the databases listed in this section will not meet your needs. In those situations scroll down to "We also recommend," and if that doesn't work scroll down to "If the above databases didn't work, try these"
- Dates tell you what years are covered by the database. In this case PsycINFO has articles from 1872 to the present while PsychARTICLES only goes back to 1988. If you were looking for a study published in the 1960's you'd need to use PsychINFO.
Database listings will often indicate that they are "Full Text" or "Some Full Text." All resources included in a "Full Text" database will be available online. "Some Full Text" means that some of the resources of the database are available online either in the database itself or elsewhere in the library's online or print collection.

I'm still not sure how to pick a good database for my topic? What do I do?

You may want to try one of our most commonly used databases to begin your search. These are listed under "Shortcuts to."

Factiva, Academic Search Complete and LexisNexis are all general databases that cover many subjects. They are good places to start, especially if you don't know what subject area you ar interested in. Our subject databases are more specialized and are a much better option if you want on a specific subject area or are not finding appropriate articles in a general database.

I know the database I want to use, how do I find it?

Go to "Know the name of the database to use? Select from the A-Z list" and click on the first letter of the database's name.