Searching Library Databases for Articles vs. the Internet

Exploring the Differences between Library Databases and the Internet

Often the hardest part of the research process is just getting started. Two places to begin looking for information are Library article databases and the Internet.
Let's look at the differences between these two types of resources.

What is a Library Database?

A library database is an indexed collection of magazine, journal, newspaper articles, reviews, abstracts, and other information that has been checked for accuracy and reliability by publishers, then licensed for distribution in online/ electronic format.

Many of the databases come from known print sources that publishers sell subscriptions to libraries to access full-text information in an online format.
For example, an article that you find in The New York Times in the Custom Newspapers database will be the same article that was printed in the The New York Times newspaper.

MCC Libraries provide access to numerous online databases. Examples include: Academic Search Premier, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Health Reference Center, ScienceDirect, and JSTOR. Other databases the Library subscribes to are listed on the Find Articles web page.

What is the Internet?

The Internet is a worldwide connection of linked computer networks which provide access to many different types of information. The original uses of the Internet included just text applications such as: e-mail, file transfer, newsgroups and bulletin boards, and telnet. The World Wide Web, or web for short, is a part of the Internet that you search using Google or Yahoo which provides access to multimedia (sounds, pictures, and moving images) in addition to text information available on websites.

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Library Databases vs. the Internet

 

Library Databases	The Internet
Purchased by libraries.	Free to anyone with computer access.
Content is evaluated by publishers for authority and accuracy and licensed for electronic distribution.	Anyone can publish anything to the web whenever they want.
Information is stable.	Websites come and go.
Are organized and indexed by Librarians so content can easily be accessed, managed, and updated.	No official body oversees the organization, cataloging, and evaluation of sources found on a specific page.
Offers options to: Search by specific subject     headings and descriptors. Search by keywords in specific     fields such as author and title. Limit search results	Only searches by matching the     characters and keywords entered     by the user. It can be difficult to narrow down     the results. A "grab bag" of     information.

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When do I use the Library's Article Databases and when do I use the Internet?

Use the Library's Article Databases when you:
 

Need to find scholarly journal articles, magazine articles, newspaper     articles and information not indexed or available on the web.

Want to save time on your research. A database provides provides one-stop     access to credible information specific to your topic, instead of searching     through thousands of web pages.

Are looking for biographical information

Are looking for statistical information

Are looking for encyclopedic overviews of topics

Use the Internet when you:
 

Are willing to evaluate the content of websites. To learn more about this     process go to the MCC Libraries Evaluating Web-Sites tutorial.

Want to visit a specific website

Want to access digital collections

Want to access government information

Want to access commercial sites

Want to see advertisements

Want instant access to today's news

Want to find information on organizations, groups, personal web pages     related to a topic.

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To Access MCC Libraries Article Databases From Off Campus

In order to search MCC Libraries article databases from off campus, you must first connect to the campus EZproxy server. Instructions for logging in to EZproxy are located on the "Access from Home" Library web page and are also provided below.
 

To log-in to EZproxy, students must use the same username and password combination required to access their MCC Student E-mail Account. MCC
students can learn more about their college e-mail account by visiting the
"MCC Students" web page at http://www.monroecc.edu/Students/ and clicking on the "Lookup My Account" and "Common Questions" links in the "Find your account" drop down menu on the page.

Faculty and staff can sign on the EZproxy with the same username and password that is used to log on to their computer at MCC.

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Article Search Tips

• Use subject terms and keywords appropriate to your topic.

• Search more than one database to locate articles, since there is variation in the subject terms used by each database, and also differences in the type and number of journals, magazines, and newspapers covered.

• If the full-text article is not available directly from the database make sure you write down or print off the citation for the article. You will need the citation information (title of the publication, author, title of article, volume, date, issue, and page numbers) to check if the article is available from the Libraries' print periodicals collection, or if you want to submit a request for Interlibrary Loan.

P. Czaja, 9/2007, http://www.monroecc.edu/go/library

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