Database Terms Concepts2
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• In a study researchers found that only 1 in 5 people were using the best database for the information they needed. – 1 in 5 were actually using the least appropriate database for what they were looking for. • People were found spending up to 4 hours looking for information for research papers…when the articles they were looking for could be found in 4 minutes in a full-text article database.
Transcript of Database Terms Concepts2
• In a study researchers found that only 1 in 5 people were using the best database for the information they needed.
– 1 in 5 were actually using the least appropriate database for what they were looking for.
• People were found spending up to 4 hours looking for information for research papers…when the articles they were looking for could be found in 4 minutes in a full-text article database.
• Federated Search
Database Terms & Concepts
What is a Database?
Common Characteristics
• Basic Search– Search Box for One Search Statement
– Usually Keyword Search….
…….But Not Always
Common Characteristics
• Advanced Search
Common Characteristics
• Federated Search
– Searches more than one sources, usually several databases at once
Federated Search
Common Characteristics
• Controlled Vocabulary– carefully selected list of words and phrases, which are used to tag
units of information (document or work) so that they may be more easily retrieved by a search
– reduce ambiguity of normal human languages where the same concept can be given different names and ensure consistency.
– There are two main kinds of controlled vocabulary tools used in libraries: subject headings and thesauri (differences diminishing)
– The terms are chosen and organized by trained professionals (including librarians and information scientists) who possess expertise in the subject area. Controlled vocabulary terms can accurately describe what a given document is actually about, even if the terms themselves do not occur within the document's text
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_vocabulary
Common Characteristics
• Full Text
– An article or book in entirety
• More than a citation
• More than an abstract
Common Characteristics
• Citation (2 Meanings)
– Basic information about an article, book, webpage
– Building block of a bibliography
– In MLA, APA, etc format
– Many databases will format your citations for you or will at least give you the information you need in an easy-to-format way
Essential information about an article including
• title, author, publisher, etc
• subject terms
• abstract
Common Characteristics
• Abstract
– Summary of an item
– When would you limit a search to just abstracts?– If you are getting too many results searching full text limiting to
abstracts will limit the results only to search terms that are most relevant (b/c summaries include only relevant material)
Records
Distinct item in a database with a beginning & end.
– Articles
– Abstracts
– Webpages
– Books
– Audio files
– Videos
– Diagrams
– Etc
Fields
• Distinct parts of a record– Author
– Title
– Publisher
– Date of publication
– Etc
Search String
• A search statement is the manner in which search terms are arranged when entered into a search engine. A search statement can consist of any combination of keywords , descriptors , boolean terms , proximity, nesting, wildcard, and truncation symbols.
Sources of Information in a database
• Dictionaries • Encyclopedia Entries• Reviews• Citations• Abstracts• Peer Reviewed Periodical Articles• Newspaper Articles• Periodical Articles• Chapters of a book
PERIODICALS
• Periodicals tend to be the most current source of information.
– The place where new knowledge is first revealed, especially in science & social science.
