What is a database?
It is an organized collection of information that allows a user to search for a particular topic, article, or book. You can search for these in a variety of ways, for example, with keywords, subject, author, or title.
Information found through internet search engines such as Google are free, but the best information is costly. Library subscriptions are purchased because these databases contain scholarly peer-reviewed articles in periodicals (magazines). SRC library services pay a fee to database providers in order to access these licensed collections.
Accessing Databases from Off Campus
Access is available to students on all SRC campuses and from off campus with your my.src.edu (MySRC) gmail logon.
When prompted, select SRC gmail.
You will be redirected to the SRC Single-sign-on (SSO) to sign in to use any of our online databases form off campus.
For more information, check out the OpenAthens Libguide.
Created by Marla Turgeon
Reliability of Sources
There is a difference between articles in a peer-reviewed/scholarly journal and an article in a popular magazine. Journal articles go through a lengthy review process by other experts in that subject area. Whereas the popular magazine article is generally the opinion of the writer, approval is only done by a general editor, and bears very little factual evidence to defend their claims.
To determine if an online journal article is scholarly look for these characteristics:
• the article follows a specific format with an abstract, literature review, methodology, results, and a conclusion
• the research method is explained
• the article has a works cited section
• the article has tables and graphs to support the research
• the author(s) are identified
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