LibGuides: Summer Research: Databases

Why Use Databases?

If you are looking for a quick way to find a plethora of potential sources for a paper or project, databases are the place to search. On the library homepage, click on the Databases tab at the top. The databases are listed alphabetically here, but are also listed by subject in the Research Guides.

The research library at the Rijksmuseum, photo courtesy of Jan Sluijer

What if I Still Can't Find Enough Articles?

To find more articles in the databases, try varying your search terms. Try alternate spellings and synonyms, pay attention to terms field experts use in their articles, and try using related terms and concepts in your searches. You can also email a librarian for help refining your searches and locating additional source material.

Interlibrary Loan

If the Gustavus library doesn’t have a particular book or article you’re looking for, you can request it from another library through interlibrary loan. An easy way to submit an ILL request is by clicking the yellow "Find It" button that appears under the item you've searched for. The button will take you to a new page, then click the link under "Borrow from Other Libraries" and log in with your Gustavus account. After assuring that the information in the request from is correct, click "submit request." Alternatively, you can follow the steps outlined below:

On the left side of the library homepage, click the link “My Library Account” and login using your Gustavus account.
Submit a request for a book or article using the “Create ILL Request” links on the right side of the page.
Provide as much information as you can in your request to expedite the process, and be sure to request your material well ahead of your project due date.

Requests are generally fulfilled within a few days to a week, depending on the availability of the material and the library it is borrowed from. For more information, FAQs, and a video tutorial, see the ILL page on the library website.

General Searching

For general searches or for beginning your research, here are some good databases to start with.

Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
A good place to start research on most any subject. This multi-disciplinary database indexes nearly 8,050 publications and provides full text for nearly 4,600, including more than 3,900 peer-reviewed journals. Access is provided by eLibraryMN (ELM).
EBSCO MegaFILE This link opens in a new window
A multi-disciplinary database providing full text for over 19,000 publications and indexing for nearly 24,000 publications. Comprised of the Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, and Regional Business News databases.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
This search engine points toward scholarly research rather than all Web-based sources. It is stronger in the sciences than in the humanities, with social sciences somewhere in between. One interesting feature of Google Scholar is that in includes a link to sources that cite a particular item. Not all of the articles in Google Scholar are free; the library can obtain many of them for you through Interlibrary loan.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a digital library of journals, academic eBooks, images, and primary sources. JSTOR provides book and journal content from the date of initial publication up to a "moving wall" of 3 to 5 years before the present year.
Sage Premier This link opens in a new window
Indexes over 500 scholarly journals published by SAGE in a range of disciplines, including many social sciences titles. Includes current full text for over 30 journals and back issues for hundreds of journals. Many journals include full backfiles - back to 1960s or earlier. To search articles by discipline, click "Browse" > "Journals by discipline."