Library Information for Laboratory School Students Finding Articles Using Library Databases

Looking for information for your research paper or project? The Rowley Library provides access to several databases you can search to find information. Most of these databases can be access through the Rowley Library Web page. If you need help beginning your research, talk to one of the Rowley librarians and they can help you get started using these resources.

In addition, the University of Library provides access to hundreds of research databases. However, these databases are available to you only in one of the University of Chicago Libraries, or at the Laboratory School. Below are a few suggestions on how to get started.

Good Full-Text Databases to Start With

With hundreds of databases available through the University of Chicago Library, one of the major challenges you will face is deciding which database to select. Below are a few good full-text multidisciplinary databases (or those that cover many different topics) which are good to begin your research with.

• Academic Search Premier: This database contains full-text for over 3,500 publications, many which are full-text. For really good articles, which are from academic journals, you can click the box next to "Peer Reviewed" on the search screen.
• JSTOR: Back issues of academic journals, including complete full-text. But be aware that recent issues of journals are not included. JSTOR is not a good database to use for current events.
• LexisNexis Academic: Full-text database that provides access to newspapers, magazines, news wires, news transcripts, business, and legal information. Dates of coverage vary by title.
  

Locating these resources, however, is just one step in the research project. Think about your topic carefully and plan a search strategy before you begin typing in keywords. For help in developing a search, view our search tips.

Subject Specific Indexes

The University of Chicago Library has other databases (or indexes) which you can use to find articles on a subject. Most of these databases search citations and abstracts, meaning that they do not include the full-text of an article. Instead, these databases include abstracts or subject headings to help you decide what the article is about, as well as information about what journal the article was published in (article title, author, journal or source, issue, and page numbers). Some indexes also include citations for other types of materials, such as conference papers, books, dissertations, research studies, etc.

Citation databases are slightly more difficult to use than the full-text resources listed above. However, they can include citations from many different materials which are not usually included in the full-text databases, such as conference papers, books, dissertations, research studies, etc.

To help you get started, we recommend that review the following help guides:

• How do I find journal articles on a topic?
• How do I find an electronic resource to help me find articles?
• How do I find out if the Library owns a periodical or journal?

If you need more assistance, please feel free to contact a Rowley Librarian or a University of Chicago Librarian.