Comparing Search Pathways

Use library databases when you’re searching for specialised content or research. Library databases are direct and efficient tools for honing-in on your topic. It’s important to search for resources in a variety of places, so try using your search terms in multiple library databases.

Use library databases:

• When you already have a general understanding of your topic
• If you're looking for resources specific to your subject area (e.g. images, media, legal documents, medical journals, primary sources)
• When you're working on a research assignment, literature review or annotated bibliography
• To find resources that won't appear in Discovery, Google Scholar, or Google

Library databases won’t usually include introductory or instructional information, so it’s important to get a general understanding of your topic before you dive in.

When searching in library databases, remember that:

• Finding great resources in library databases takes practice
  Library databases don’t respond well to natural language, questions, and sentences. To get the best search results from library databases, brainstorm some search terms and synonyms to describe your topic. You might like to test your search terms first in Google Scholar or Discovery to get an idea of the language used to describe the concepts you’re looking for.
• You still need to evaluate what you find
  While most library databases will include a high proportion of quality scholarly resources, not all of them will be relevant to your own research. Some resources may be too niche, and others might be adjacent to your topic. If you’re not sure what is and isn’t relevant for your work, analysing your assessment task and using a writing process can help you stay on track.

• Use Advanced Search for complex or systematic searching
• Filter your search results by subject, date, format, and other attributes
• Save or email your search history

See our Find the Right Resources page on the Research Essentials Library Guide for tips about searching effectively.