Research Help (Big 6)  » Subscription Database Help

Subscription Database Help

This information will help you use the District 214 subscription databases.

Biography Resource Center
eLibrary Current Biography
FirstSearch Gale Literary Databases
Infotrac Litfinder
Opposing Viewpoints Magill On Literature
Student Resource Center Science Resource Center
Newsbank American/World History
Matter of Fact World/State Geography
Grolier Encyclopedias  
World Book Encyclopedia  

CQ Researcher

Link to CQ Researcher

When to use:

  • When you need objective, in-depth articles about a social issue
  • When you have a Pro/Con assignment and need articles on each side of an issue
  • When you need information shown in a table or diagram

    • Features:

  • Has good charts and graphs
  • Links at the top of articles:

    •   1. Pro/Con link gives 2 different viewpoints
      2. Chronology link gives timeline of significant events
      3. Current situation link tells what is happening now
      4. Outlook link tells what is expected in the future
      5. Bibliography link gives additional articles and books

    Tips:
  • At search list, under column on right labeled 'Date,' click the up arrow if you want to list the most recent articles first
  • Be aware that the most recent article may not be the most relevant for your topic

    • Return to top

    eLibrary  

    Link to eLibrary

    When to use:

  • When you want transcripts of radio or television shows
  • When you want coverage of a variety of subject areas
  • When you want pictures or maps

    • Features:

  • Every article has full text
  • Capability to search for each type of resource individually (newspapers, magazines, etc.)
  • Has TV and radio transcripts (only database having this feature)

    • Tips:

  • Click only tv/radio transcript (or other item type) square under search box to get more of that kind of material in your search list

    • Return to topÊ

    FirstSearch  

    Link to FirstSearch

    When to use:

  • When you want detailed journal articles written by experts
  • When you want to identify current issues about a topic
  • When you want reports of expert research studies

    • Features:

  • Has articles written by professionals in various fields
  • Has 7 full-text databases
  • WorldCat can be used to locate books from a variety of libraries (check availability through inter-library loan)

    • Tips:

  • Go to Advanced Search and click the box for Full Text
    Note:     Click for more FirstSearch directions


    • Return to top

    Infotrac

    Link to Infotrac

    When to use:

  • When you want to search a particular magazine title

    • Features:

  • Has similar articles to those in Student Resource Center, but with a different look

    • Tips:

  • Try the Advanced Search option (on the left of the screen) to pinpoint exactly what you need
  • Under the search box, click on Limit to articles with text


    • Return to top

    Opposing Viewpoints

    Link to Opposing Viewpoints

    When to use:

  • When you are researching a social issue
  • When you have a Pro/Con assignment and need articles on each side of an issue

    • Features:

  • Opening screen has social issues with links
  • Gives opposite sides of social issues
  • Has full text of online reference books (not many databases do)
  • Has primary documents (original documents created at the time an event occurred)
  • Has statistics (facts)
  • Narrow down your main topic by using suggestions on the left

    • Tips:

  • Use articles under Viewpoints tab -- this feature is a strength of the database
  • Click on tab at top of your list to change type of resources insert image


    • Return to top

    Student Resource Center

    Link to Student Resource Center

    When to use:

  • When you want coverage of a variety of subject areas
  • When you want media as well as print information

    • Features:

  • Has full text of online reference books (not many databases do)
  • Has primary documents (original documents created at the time an event occurred)

    • Tips:

  • Click on tab at top of list to change type of resources
  • Make sure your bibliographic citation for your Works Cited matches the kind of resource you used (check the label on the tab Ê-- Êexample: a magazine, reference book, transcript, etc. )

    • Return to top

    Newsbank

    Link to Newsbank

    When to use:

  • When you want news released recently
  • When you want news articles from areas of the world other than where you live
  • When you need timely articles on current topics

    • Features:

  • Major strength -- newspaper articles
  • Has full-text articles from New York Times (only database that does)
  • Has articles from foreign newspapers, translated into English (only database that does)
  • Under Explore Newsbank on the search page, click on topic names to get sub-categories

    • Tips:

  • Use articles from foreign newspapers to get different points of view
  • Limit to Newspapers and Newswires and Broadcasts unless you want some magazine articles


    • Return to top

    Matter of Fact

    Link to Matter of Fact

    When to use:

  • When you need concise, factual information
  • When you are looking for statistics related to a topic

    • Features:

  • Focus on facts and statistics taken from longer articles
  • Full text of articles is not included
  • Citations of articles are included so you can get full text if you need it

    • Tips:

  • Click on Complete Record to get excerpts of articles


    • Return to top

    Grolier Encyclopedias

    Link to Grolier

    When to use:

  • When you want general background information on a topic
  • When you need articles that are simple to read and understand

    • Features:

  • Has articles at different reading levels
  • Includes magazine articles and Web links
  • Americana's strength -- U.S. history
  • Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia's strength -- graphics and charts
  • New Book of Knowledge's strength -- simple and easy to understand

    • Tips:

  • Search individually or all three at once


    • Return to top

    World Book Encyclopedia

    Link to World Book

    When to use:

  • When you want general background information on a topic
  • When it would help to read articles in Spanish

    • Features:

  • Includes magazine articles and Web links
  • Limited Spanish Language Encyclopedia included (link in upper right-hand corner of main page)
  • Good atlas (maps) with links to articles about the places

    • Tips:

  • Copy and paste the URL of articles to go back to them later

    • Return to top

    Biography Resource Center

    Link to Biography Resource Center

    When to use:

  • When you want short or long biographies of a famous person
  • When you want to see what a person looked (or looks) like

    • Features:

  • "Thumbnail biographies" give short overviews of the person's life
  • Has image of each person

    • Tips:

  • Click on tab at top of list to change type of resources
  • Check the book titles listed after the article names to figure out the point of view of the articles

    • Return to top

    Current Biography

    Link to Current Biography

    When to use:

  • When you want information about a person's life
  • When you want to know death information aboaut a person
  • When you want biographical information written during different times frames

    • Features:

  • Has death information (obituaries)
  • Has information written during different time periods

    • Tips:

  • To make sure you have the right person, check dates of birth and death and description listed

    • Return to top

    Gale Literary Databases

    Link to Gale Literary Databases
    When to use:

  • When you need information about a poem, play, short story, or classic book

    • Features:

  • Contempory Authors gives biographies (those writing from 1960 to present)
  • Contemporary Literary Criticism gives analyses Ê(Twentieth Century to present)
  • Dictionary of Literary Biographies gives summaries (author not limited by date or nationality)

    • Tips:

  • Tabs take you to different databases; left tab searches all of them

    • Return to top

    Litfinder

    Link to Litfinder


    When to use:

  • When you need the words of a poem, short story, play, or speech with critical discussion

    • Features:

  • Can be limited by genre, subject, or author

    • Tips:

  • Click boxes under search box to choose kind of literature
  • Use Advanced Search to limit by timeline or type of work


    • Return to top

    Magill on Literature

    Link to Magill on Literature

    When to use:

  • When you want short plot descriptions of classic books or plays
  • When you need to do a character analysis from classic literature

    • Features:

  • Character descriptions
  • Plot summaries
  • Book reviews

    • ÊÊÊReturn to top

    Science Resource Center

    Link to Science Resource Center

    When to use:

  • When you are researching a science topic

    • Features:

    Tips:


    Return to top

    History Databases

    Link to American Government
    Link to American History
    Link to World History - Modern Era
    Link to World History - Ancient/Medieval Era

    When to use:

  • When you want information about world or American history

    • Features:

    Tips:


    Return to top

    Geography Databases

    Link to State Geography
    Link to World Geography

    When to use:

  • When you want information about a country or state

    • Features:

    Tips:


    Return to top


    Ê
    ÊÊÊÊÊ