Introduction to Database & Search Skills

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University libraries have a vast (almost infinite!) number of resources for you to use in your research. It can be overwhelming and hard to know where to start! This module will help you understand which databases are appropriate for your research needs and how to use them effectively. 

Learning goals: 

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Select an appropriate search tool based on their information need
• Construct a search based on keywords and use/apply search strategies
• Know where to go for additional help.

Reflect

Conducting research in the library may sound daunting, but you have done research before whether you’re aware of it or not. Think back to a time when you needed to find information to make a decision- maybe it was to plan a trip, buy a new phone, or pick a movie to watch. Where did you look for information and were you successful finding what you needed? Library research is (almost) the same thing, but you’ll use different search engines-- for example, a library database like Academic Search Complete instead of Google or TripAdvisor.com, and find different types of information, scholarly journal articles instead of movie reviews.