Annotated List of Useful Databases

While internet search engines have made locating sources online easier, there are still many digital sources beyond websites. Databases contract with publishers and other content providers to package access to articles, reports, conference proceedings, ebooks, films, images, and other material. Using databases and having access to such a variety of source material is an important part of the research process.

Search Engines vs. Databases vs. Catalogs

Most libraries provide links to different types of search systems, which contain the information, data, and search interfaces used to locate sources. The most common types of search systems are internet search engines, databases, and catalogs. They each search different types of information in different ways.

How Databases and Search Engines Differ. Created by Undergraduate Library, University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
How Databases and Online Catalogs Differ. Created by Undergraduate Library, University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Libraries subscribe to the databases to provide access to their users (students, faculty, staff, etc.), and because libraries subscribe to dozens (if not hundreds) of databases, it’s often helpful to evaluate both the database and the sources within the database. The following annotated list of databases helps with preliminary evaluation by describing the types of sources with the databases. Some of the databases are broad-based, interdisciplinary systems that can be used to search any topic or subject. Other databases provide sources according to specific type (such as newspaper or video) or specific subjects (such as literature or science).

Most academic libraries should subscribe to these databases. Please be sure to check your library’s database aggregator or list of databases for availability and access.

Broad-Based Databases

Academic Search™ Complete. EBSCO Publishing.
- Academic Search Complete™ is a multidisciplinary database that offers indexing and abstracts as well as full-text and scholarly sources. It also contains popular sources, such as magazines and newspapers. The variety of subjects includes “anthropology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, engineering, ethnic & multicultural studies, geology, law, materials science, mathematics, music, pharmaceutical sciences, physics, psychology, religion & theology, veterinary science, women’s studies, zoology, and many other fields.” This database works well for interdisciplinary searches as well as being a starting place for subject-specific searches.
JSTOR. ITHAKA.
- JSTOR is a multidisciplinary database that offers indexing and abstracts as well as full-text and scholarly sources. It also contains books and primary sources. The database offers both the usual search options along with a subject browse tool for the following areas: area studies, arts, business and economics, history, humanities, law, medicine and allied health, science and mathematics, and social sciences. This database works well for interdisciplinary searches, but may be better for students with more experience searching databases. For example, it has a more unique search interface that does not allow for subject heading (also known as subject term) searches. However, it contains high-quality sources that are worth the effort of searching.

Source-Type Databases

ARTstor Digital Library. ARTstor.
- “The ARTstor Digital Library is a nonprofit resource that provides more than one million digital images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and sciences with an accessible suite of software tools for teaching and research.” It allows users to search for, view, and download images related to a variety of topics, such as: art, architecture, religion, anthropology, history, and literature. The database also provides image credit information for properly citing the images. Students can use these images in papers, presentations, and other assignments.
CQ Researcher. CQ Press, SAGE Publications.
- CQ Researcher is a topics-focused database that “covers a wide range of social, economic, political, and environmental issues.” The database’s standardized reports review current events as researched by journalists. The reports include twelve sections, some of which are: an overview, background, outlook, pro/con, and bibliography. Students will be able to use these reports to research current events and controversial issues. The reports also provide broad background information to aid students in developing the foundations for their research.
Films on Demand. Films Media Group.
- Films on Demand is a database of streaming videos. It includes both a search function and browsing ability by subject and collection. The collections come from a variety of well-known film production companies, such as the BBC, PBS, and other news organizations, as well as National Geographic and TED. Subject browsing begins with broad categories, such as biology and political science, and narrows down to more specific subtopics, such as genetics and political institutions. This database is a good option for visual learners and researchers who want a broad range of source types. The videos can be embedded into presentations, and many videos include transcripts and closed captioning, which helps for quoting material.

Subject-Specific Databases

Literature Resource Center. Gale, Cengage Learning.
- Literature Resource Center is a subject-specific database for literature, literary criticism, and the humanities. It offers a variety of types of searches for both specific works and authors. Sources include critical essays, interviews, reviews, and other scholarly articles. This database would be a good choice for students researching literature, literary theory, poetry, and drama.
ScienceDirect. Elsevier.
- ScienceDirect is a science and technology database that provides indexing and abstracts along with full-text access to journal articles and book chapters published by Elsevier and its imprints. It carries very few third-party sources. The majority of the information contained in the database focuses on the sciences—physical sciences and engineering (such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics), life sciences (such as agriculture, biology, neuroscience), and health sciences (medicine, pharmacology, nursing, veterinary science). It also includes some articles from related fields in the social sciences and humanities, but in general, it’s not a social science or humanities database. Students should be able to locate sources in the sciences, technical fields, and related subjects.

Incorporating Outside Research