SMILE
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Unit 5: How can I find information?

Databases


Why should I use them?


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Time: There could be many journals which contain articles relevant to your assignment. However, the Library Catalogue does not index individual articles. Looking through individual journals would take a very long time. Using databases is a much quicker and more effective way of locating this information. You will be able to search across hundreds of journal titles simultaneously.

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Reliabilty and quality: 'Bibliographic' databases usually contain references, abstracts and sometimes full-text articles which have been carefully selected by subject specialists. They can therefore be used with more confidence than items found by Internet search engines like Google.

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Convenience: In some cases you will be able to read a full-text electronic version of the article online. You won't even have to come to the Library if you use a computer elsewhere, either on or off campus.

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SMILE - Finding Information by Imperial College, Loughborough University and the University of Worcester, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
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