Monday 17 March 2014

Selecting sources relevant to the subject

Searchers often develop tunnel vision when it comes to using databases. They 
know and use one or two databases, which cover their chosen subject, and 
ignore others. It is true that there is usually a large, reliable, and well known 
database for most broad subject areas, but that does not mean it is the only 
resource. Neither does it mean that other more general databases do not cover 
the subject. For example, subscribers can access the British Library Inside data-
base to search for research articles and conference proceedings in all subject 
disciplines. 
Researchers should familiarize themselves with the range of databases available to them, including general titles. For 

example, Science Direct from the publisher Elsevier does not imply from its title that it will be of any use to researchers in 

subjects other than pure science. In fact, the subject coverage includes journal titles in the fields of: 

•  Arts and humanities 
•  Business, management, and accounting 
•  Economics, econometrics, and finance 

Checking the content and coverage of databases (see above) is imperative for running a comprehensive search or finding an 

item not listed in the chosen favoured database. 
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