{"id":748,"date":"2017-04-03T21:27:17","date_gmt":"2017-04-03T21:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=748"},"modified":"2017-04-13T18:53:43","modified_gmt":"2017-04-13T18:53:43","slug":"specialized-databases","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/chapter\/specialized-databases\/","title":{"raw":"Specialized Databases","rendered":"Specialized Databases"},"content":{"raw":"A specialized database\u2014often called a research or library database\u2014allows targeted searching on one or more specific subject areas (i.e., engineering, medicine, Latin American history, etc.), for a specific format (i.e., books, articles, conference proceedings, video, images), or for a specific date range during which the information was published.\r\n\r\nThere are several types of specialized databases, including:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Bibliographic\u2014details about published works<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Full-text\u2014details plus the complete text of the items<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Multimedia\u2014various types of media, such as images, audio clips, or video excerpts<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Directory\u2014brief, factual information<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Numeric\u2014data sources<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Product\u2014model numbers, descriptions, etc.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Mixed\u2014a combination of other types, such as multimedia and full-text<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<h3>ACTIVITY: Database Types<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/guides.osu.edu\/ld.php?content_id=23697704\" target=\"_blank\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>When to Use Specialized Databases<\/h1>\r\nSearch specialized databases to uncover scholarly information that is not available through a regular web search.\u00a0Specialized databases are especially helpful if you require a specific format or up-to-date, scholarly information on a specific topic.\r\n\r\nMany databases are available both in a\u00a0free version\u00a0and in a\u00a0subscription version. Your affiliation with a subscribing library grants you access to\u00a0member-based services. For example, using PubMed via OSU Libraries enables a Find It link to help you request an item.\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<h3><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Free vs. Subscription?<\/h3>\r\nIn some\u00a0cases, the\u00a0data available in free and subscription versions are the same, but\u00a0the subscription version provides some sort of added value or\u00a0enhancement for searching or viewing items.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Database Scope<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\nInformation about the specific subject range, format, or date range a particular specialized database covers is called its scope. A specialized database may be narrow or broad in scope, depending on whether it, for instance, contains materials on one or many subject areas.\r\n\r\nIf you are using a database licensed by OSU Libraries and have clicked the title in the list of databases, you will see scope information at the bottom of the same page that says \u201cClick on the following to go to the resource.\u201d\r\n<div id=\"attachment_406\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 1400px\">\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_406\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1390\"]<img class=\"wp-image-406 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1547\/2017\/04\/03155848\/s-scope.png\" alt=\"IEEE Xplore is a database with coverage from 1988 to the present for the subjects of computer science, engineering, standards (technical), and technology.\" width=\"1390\" height=\"1246\" \/> This example shows the scope page for an OSU-licensed database. View the <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search\/y?SEARCH=ieee+Xplore\">live example.<\/a>[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nOnce you are aware of a database\u2019s scope, you\u2019ll be able to decide whether the database is likely to have what you want (for instance, journal articles as opposed to conference proceedings). Reading about the scope can save you time you would have otherwise wasted searching in databases that do not contain what you need.\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<h3>ACTIVITY: Determining Subject Scope<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/guides.osu.edu\/ld.php?content_id=23697671\" target=\"_blank\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<h3>ACTIVITY: Years of Coverage<\/h3>\r\nIn addition to subject scope, database descriptions should include years of coverage. Visit Ohio State\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/screens\/databases.html\">Research Databases List<\/a> to search for the databases listed below. Which database contains the oldest information? Which covers the fewest years?\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Evidence Based Medicine Reviews<\/li>\r\n \t<li>MathSciNet<\/li>\r\n \t<li>GeoRef<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>How to Use Them<\/h1>\r\nSee <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/screens\/databases.html\" target=\"_blank\">Ohio State\u2019s research database\u00a0list<\/a>.\r\n\r\nUse of each database varies somewhat. Standard search steps for choosing keywords (as described in <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/chapter\/why-precision-searching\/\">Precision Searching<\/a>) apply.\u00a0However, research databases may also use subject headings to assist with precision searching.\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<h3><strong>EXAMPLE:<\/strong> Academic Search Complete<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search~S7?\/tacademic+search+complete\/tacademic+search+complete\/1%2C2%2C5%2CB\/frameset&amp;FF=tacademic+search+complete+online+ebscohost&amp;1%2C1%2C\" target=\"_blank\">Academic Search Complete<\/a> (OSU only) is a general article database available through most academic and large public libraries that is often recommended for undergraduate research projects.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<h3><strong>Movie:<\/strong> Academic Search Complete Database in 3 Minutes<\/h3>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/d1d-_p1JI_Y<\/p>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d1d-_p1JI_Y\" target=\"_blank\">View video<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Records and Fields<\/h1>\r\nThe information researchers usually see first after searching a database is the \u201crecords\u201d for items contained in the database that also match what was asked for by the search.\r\n\r\nEach record describes an item that can be retrieved and gives you enough information so that, hopefully, you can decide whether it should meet your information need. The descriptions are in categories that provide different types of information about the item. These categories are called \u201cfields.\u201d Some fields may be empty of information for some items, and the fields that are available depend on the type of database.\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<h3><strong>EXAMPLE:<\/strong> Database Fields<\/h3>\r\nA <b>bibliographic database<\/b> describes items such as articles, books, conference papers, etc. Common fields found in bibliographic database records are:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Author<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Title (of book, article, etc.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Source title (journal title, conference name, etc.)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Date<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Volume\/issue<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Pages<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Abstract<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Descriptive or subject terms<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn contrast, a <b>product database<\/b> record might contain the following fields:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Product Name<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Product Code number<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Color<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Price<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Amount in Stock<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Keyword Searching<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAlthough keyword search principles apply, you may want to use fewer search terms since the optimal number of terms is related to database size. Google and Bing work best with several terms since they index billions of web pages and additional terms help narrow the results; each scholarly database indexes a fraction of that number so you are less likely to be overwhelmed by results even with one or two keywords.\r\n\r\nPhrase searching (putting multiple words in quotes so Google or Bing will know to search them as a phrase) is also less helpful in specialized databases because they are smaller and more focused. Databases are better searched by beginning with only a few general search terms, reviewing your results and, if necessary, limiting them in some logical way. (See Limiting Your Search below.)\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<h3><strong>ACTIVITY:\u00a0<\/strong>Compare Them!<\/h3>\r\nCompare a search for items containing both phrases \u201cUnited States\u201d and \u201cfemale serial killers\u201d in the article database <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search~S7?\/tacademic+search+complete\/tacademic+search+complete\/1%2C2%2C5%2CB\/frameset&amp;FF=tacademic+search+complete+online+ebscohost&amp;1%2C1%2C\" target=\"_blank\">Academic Search Complete<\/a> (OSU only) and in the web search engine <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/search?q=%22united+states%22+%22female+serial+killers%22&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBLH&amp;pq=%22united%20states%22%20%22female%20serial%20killers%22&amp;sc=0-26&amp;sp=-1&amp;sk=\" target=\"_blank\">Bing<\/a>. Notice how searching too narrowly (searching for phrases) affects results in the specialized database. How could you revise the specialized database search to get more results?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Limiting Your Search<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\nMany databases allow you to choose which areas (also called fields) of items to search for your search term(s), based on what you think will turn up documents that are most helpful.\r\n\r\nFor instance, you may think the items most likely to be helpful to you are those whose titles contain your search term(s). In that case, your search would not show you any records for items whose titles do not have your term(s). Or maybe you would want to see only records for items whose abstracts contain the term(s).\r\n\r\nWhen this feature is available, directing your search to particular parts of items, you are said to be able to \u201climit\u201d your search. You are limiting your search to only item parts that you think will have the biggest pay-off at distinguishing helpful items from unhelpful items.\r\n\r\nSearching fields such as title, abstracts, and subject classification often gives helpful items.\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<h3><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Full-Text Searches<\/h3>\r\nSome databases allow for full-text searching, but this option includes results where a search term appears\u00a0only\u00a0once\u00a0in dozens or more pages.\u00a0Searching fields such as title, abstracts, and subject classification will often give more relevant items.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h1>Subject Heading Searching<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\nOne precision searching technique may be helpful in databases that allow it, and that\u2019s subject heading searching. Subject heading searching can be much more precise than keyword searching, as you are sure to retrieve only your intended concept.\r\n\r\nSubject searching is helpful in situations such as:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>There are multiple terms for the same topic you\u2019re interested in (example: cats and felines).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>There are multiple meanings for the same word (example: cookie the food and cookie the computer term).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>There are terms used by professionals and terms used by the general public, including slang or shortened terms (example: flu and influenza).<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHere\u2019s how it works:\r\n\r\nDatabase creators work with a defined list of subject headings, which is sometimes called a controlled vocabulary. That means the creators have defined which subject terms are acceptable and assigned only those words to the items it contains. The resulting list of terms is often referred to as a thesaurus. When done thoroughly, a thesaurus will not only list acceptable subject headings, but will also indicate related terms, broader terms and narrower terms for a concept.\r\n<div class=\"example\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<h3><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Finding Useful Subject Headings<\/h3>\r\nTry this strategy to find useful subject headings. Remember it by thinking of the letters KISS:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><strong>K<\/strong>eyword-search your topic.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>I<\/strong>dentify a relevant item from the results.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>S<\/strong>elect subject terms relevant to your topic from that item\u2019s subject heading.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>S<\/strong>earch using these subject terms. (Some resources will allow you to simply click on those subject terms to perform a search.\u00a0Others may require you to copy\/paste a subject term[s] into a search and choose a subject field.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n<h3><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Searching Specialized Databases<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/library.osu.edu\/blogs\/choosingsources\/files\/2016\/07\/specializeddatabases.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"activity\">\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n<h3><strong>Answer to ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Years of Coverage<\/h3>\r\nThe answer to the \u201cYears of Coverage\u201d Activity above is:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The database containing the oldest material is <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search\/y?SEARCH=georef\">GeoRef<\/a>, which goes back to 1785.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The database covering the fewest years is <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search\/y?SEARCH=evidence+based\" target=\"_blank\">Evidence Based Medicine Reviews<\/a>, which goes back to 1991.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<p>A specialized database\u2014often called a research or library database\u2014allows targeted searching on one or more specific subject areas (i.e., engineering, medicine, Latin American history, etc.), for a specific format (i.e., books, articles, conference proceedings, video, images), or for a specific date range during which the information was published.<\/p>\n<p>There are several types of specialized databases, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bibliographic\u2014details about published works<\/li>\n<li>Full-text\u2014details plus the complete text of the items<\/li>\n<li>Multimedia\u2014various types of media, such as images, audio clips, or video excerpts<\/li>\n<li>Directory\u2014brief, factual information<\/li>\n<li>Numeric\u2014data sources<\/li>\n<li>Product\u2014model numbers, descriptions, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Mixed\u2014a combination of other types, such as multimedia and full-text<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<h3>ACTIVITY: Database Types<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/guides.osu.edu\/ld.php?content_id=23697704\" target=\"_blank\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>When to Use Specialized Databases<\/h1>\n<p>Search specialized databases to uncover scholarly information that is not available through a regular web search.\u00a0Specialized databases are especially helpful if you require a specific format or up-to-date, scholarly information on a specific topic.<\/p>\n<p>Many databases are available both in a\u00a0free version\u00a0and in a\u00a0subscription version. Your affiliation with a subscribing library grants you access to\u00a0member-based services. For example, using PubMed via OSU Libraries enables a Find It link to help you request an item.<\/p>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Free vs. Subscription?<\/h3>\n<p>In some\u00a0cases, the\u00a0data available in free and subscription versions are the same, but\u00a0the subscription version provides some sort of added value or\u00a0enhancement for searching or viewing items.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Database Scope<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p>Information about the specific subject range, format, or date range a particular specialized database covers is called its scope. A specialized database may be narrow or broad in scope, depending on whether it, for instance, contains materials on one or many subject areas.<\/p>\n<p>If you are using a database licensed by OSU Libraries and have clicked the title in the list of databases, you will see scope information at the bottom of the same page that says \u201cClick on the following to go to the resource.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_406\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 1400px\">\n<div id=\"attachment_406\" style=\"width: 1400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-406\" class=\"wp-image-406 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1547\/2017\/04\/03155848\/s-scope.png\" alt=\"IEEE Xplore is a database with coverage from 1988 to the present for the subjects of computer science, engineering, standards (technical), and technology.\" width=\"1390\" height=\"1246\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-406\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This example shows the scope page for an OSU-licensed database. View the <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search\/y?SEARCH=ieee+Xplore\">live example.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Once you are aware of a database\u2019s scope, you\u2019ll be able to decide whether the database is likely to have what you want (for instance, journal articles as opposed to conference proceedings). Reading about the scope can save you time you would have otherwise wasted searching in databases that do not contain what you need.<\/p>\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<h3>ACTIVITY: Determining Subject Scope<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/guides.osu.edu\/ld.php?content_id=23697671\" target=\"_blank\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<h3>ACTIVITY: Years of Coverage<\/h3>\n<p>In addition to subject scope, database descriptions should include years of coverage. Visit Ohio State\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/screens\/databases.html\">Research Databases List<\/a> to search for the databases listed below. Which database contains the oldest information? Which covers the fewest years?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Evidence Based Medicine Reviews<\/li>\n<li>MathSciNet<\/li>\n<li>GeoRef<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>How to Use Them<\/h1>\n<p>See <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/screens\/databases.html\" target=\"_blank\">Ohio State\u2019s research database\u00a0list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Use of each database varies somewhat. Standard search steps for choosing keywords (as described in <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/chapter\/why-precision-searching\/\">Precision Searching<\/a>) apply.\u00a0However, research databases may also use subject headings to assist with precision searching.<\/p>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3><strong>EXAMPLE:<\/strong> Academic Search Complete<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search~S7?\/tacademic+search+complete\/tacademic+search+complete\/1%2C2%2C5%2CB\/frameset&amp;FF=tacademic+search+complete+online+ebscohost&amp;1%2C1%2C\" target=\"_blank\">Academic Search Complete<\/a> (OSU only) is a general article database available through most academic and large public libraries that is often recommended for undergraduate research projects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3><strong>Movie:<\/strong> Academic Search Complete Database in 3 Minutes<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Academic Search Complete Database in 3 Minutes\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d1d-_p1JI_Y?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d1d-_p1JI_Y\" target=\"_blank\">View video<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Records and Fields<\/h1>\n<p>The information researchers usually see first after searching a database is the \u201crecords\u201d for items contained in the database that also match what was asked for by the search.<\/p>\n<p>Each record describes an item that can be retrieved and gives you enough information so that, hopefully, you can decide whether it should meet your information need. The descriptions are in categories that provide different types of information about the item. These categories are called \u201cfields.\u201d Some fields may be empty of information for some items, and the fields that are available depend on the type of database.<\/p>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3><strong>EXAMPLE:<\/strong> Database Fields<\/h3>\n<p>A <b>bibliographic database<\/b> describes items such as articles, books, conference papers, etc. Common fields found in bibliographic database records are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Author<\/li>\n<li>Title (of book, article, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Source title (journal title, conference name, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Date<\/li>\n<li>Volume\/issue<\/li>\n<li>Pages<\/li>\n<li>Abstract<\/li>\n<li>Descriptive or subject terms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In contrast, a <b>product database<\/b> record might contain the following fields:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Product Name<\/li>\n<li>Product Code number<\/li>\n<li>Color<\/li>\n<li>Price<\/li>\n<li>Amount in Stock<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Keyword Searching<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p>Although keyword search principles apply, you may want to use fewer search terms since the optimal number of terms is related to database size. Google and Bing work best with several terms since they index billions of web pages and additional terms help narrow the results; each scholarly database indexes a fraction of that number so you are less likely to be overwhelmed by results even with one or two keywords.<\/p>\n<p>Phrase searching (putting multiple words in quotes so Google or Bing will know to search them as a phrase) is also less helpful in specialized databases because they are smaller and more focused. Databases are better searched by beginning with only a few general search terms, reviewing your results and, if necessary, limiting them in some logical way. (See Limiting Your Search below.)<\/p>\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<h3><strong>ACTIVITY:\u00a0<\/strong>Compare Them!<\/h3>\n<p>Compare a search for items containing both phrases \u201cUnited States\u201d and \u201cfemale serial killers\u201d in the article database <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search~S7?\/tacademic+search+complete\/tacademic+search+complete\/1%2C2%2C5%2CB\/frameset&amp;FF=tacademic+search+complete+online+ebscohost&amp;1%2C1%2C\" target=\"_blank\">Academic Search Complete<\/a> (OSU only) and in the web search engine <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bing.com\/search?q=%22united+states%22+%22female+serial+killers%22&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBLH&amp;pq=%22united%20states%22%20%22female%20serial%20killers%22&amp;sc=0-26&amp;sp=-1&amp;sk=\" target=\"_blank\">Bing<\/a>. Notice how searching too narrowly (searching for phrases) affects results in the specialized database. How could you revise the specialized database search to get more results?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Limiting Your Search<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p>Many databases allow you to choose which areas (also called fields) of items to search for your search term(s), based on what you think will turn up documents that are most helpful.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, you may think the items most likely to be helpful to you are those whose titles contain your search term(s). In that case, your search would not show you any records for items whose titles do not have your term(s). Or maybe you would want to see only records for items whose abstracts contain the term(s).<\/p>\n<p>When this feature is available, directing your search to particular parts of items, you are said to be able to \u201climit\u201d your search. You are limiting your search to only item parts that you think will have the biggest pay-off at distinguishing helpful items from unhelpful items.<\/p>\n<p>Searching fields such as title, abstracts, and subject classification often gives helpful items.<\/p>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Full-Text Searches<\/h3>\n<p>Some databases allow for full-text searching, but this option includes results where a search term appears\u00a0only\u00a0once\u00a0in dozens or more pages.\u00a0Searching fields such as title, abstracts, and subject classification will often give more relevant items.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>Subject Heading Searching<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p>One precision searching technique may be helpful in databases that allow it, and that\u2019s subject heading searching. Subject heading searching can be much more precise than keyword searching, as you are sure to retrieve only your intended concept.<\/p>\n<p>Subject searching is helpful in situations such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There are multiple terms for the same topic you\u2019re interested in (example: cats and felines).<\/li>\n<li>There are multiple meanings for the same word (example: cookie the food and cookie the computer term).<\/li>\n<li>There are terms used by professionals and terms used by the general public, including slang or shortened terms (example: flu and influenza).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n<p>Database creators work with a defined list of subject headings, which is sometimes called a controlled vocabulary. That means the creators have defined which subject terms are acceptable and assigned only those words to the items it contains. The resulting list of terms is often referred to as a thesaurus. When done thoroughly, a thesaurus will not only list acceptable subject headings, but will also indicate related terms, broader terms and narrower terms for a concept.<\/p>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<h3><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Finding Useful Subject Headings<\/h3>\n<p>Try this strategy to find useful subject headings. Remember it by thinking of the letters KISS:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>K<\/strong>eyword-search your topic.<\/li>\n<li><strong>I<\/strong>dentify a relevant item from the results.<\/li>\n<li><strong>S<\/strong>elect subject terms relevant to your topic from that item\u2019s subject heading.<\/li>\n<li><strong>S<\/strong>earch using these subject terms. (Some resources will allow you to simply click on those subject terms to perform a search.\u00a0Others may require you to copy\/paste a subject term[s] into a search and choose a subject field.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<h3><strong>ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Searching Specialized Databases<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/library.osu.edu\/blogs\/choosingsources\/files\/2016\/07\/specializeddatabases.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Open activity in a web browser.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"activity\">\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<h3><strong>Answer to ACTIVITY:<\/strong> Years of Coverage<\/h3>\n<p>The answer to the \u201cYears of Coverage\u201d Activity above is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The database containing the oldest material is <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search\/y?SEARCH=georef\">GeoRef<\/a>, which goes back to 1785.<\/li>\n<li>The database covering the fewest years is <a href=\"http:\/\/library.ohio-state.edu\/search\/y?SEARCH=evidence+based\" target=\"_blank\">Evidence Based Medicine Reviews<\/a>, which goes back to 1991.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-748\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Choosing &amp; Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Teaching &amp; Learning, Ohio State University Libraries. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: The Ohio State University. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/osu.pb.unizin.org\/choosingsources\/\">https:\/\/osu.pb.unizin.org\/choosingsources\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research\",\"author\":\"Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries\",\"organization\":\"The Ohio State University\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osu.pb.unizin.org\/choosingsources\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-748","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":900,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1372,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/748\/revisions\/1372"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/900"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/748\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=748"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=748"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-researchsuccess\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}