SearchBox is a one-stop method for searching the Libraries' entire holdings. The tabs marked Articles and Books automatically limit your search to those formats (a Books search will include eBooks).
Search results can be narrowed down using several filters located on the left side of any SearchBox results page. You can filter the results by content type, library location, author, subject terms, date of publication, language, and more. You can also ask SearchBox to show you only scholarly, peer-reviewed content (written and reviewed by experts on the topic) and/or items that are available in full-text.
Each item in the list of results will include basic identifying information, such as title, author, date, and content type. SearchBox will also show you in what locations the item is available and whether or not it is currently checked out. For items that are checked out, a due date will be given.
You'll hear the word "database" a lot when using library resources, so let's be sure you know what they are. Databases are searchable collections of information. You already use them when you search for songs in iTunes, for friends in Facebook, and for books in Amazon. Most databases rely on similar methods of searching, so while the databases themselves may look different, once you have mastered one, it's much easier to learn how to search others.
What you'll find in the library databases:
On the library's web site, you can easily navigate our databases by searching or browsing. To make browsing easier, we have grouped them by subject, though a complete alphabetical listing is also available.
Individual library databases might focus on only one subject, such as psychology or business, or might contain articles from many disciplines.
When you are getting started searching, using Google and Wikipedia can be an easy place to get information. Google is sometimes the fastest, easiest way to locate the information you need - think about movie listings or sports scores - but it might not meet your needs for academic projects. Google Scholar uses a similar interface as Google, but includes journal articles, books, and reports from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, and universities - exactly the kinds of scholarly sources your professors will often want you to use.
It is important to evaluate ANY resource and information you come across, but this is especially true on the wide internet, where it is easy for anyone to publish with very little or no editing or oversight. See our section on Evaluating Sources for more information.
Try it yourself! Choose the best database from the descriptions given for each topic listed below.