Much of the research you do throughout your university education will involve databases. Therefore it is a good idea to understand what a database is and how they work. A database is a computerized and structured set of data that can be manipulated and searched. Here is a diagram explaining the structure of many academic databases:
How do you actually go about searching a database? First you will need to have an idea of what to search for. Do you have a topic, general concept, or just a vague idea? Often it helps to write out and pull words from your research question. For example perhaps you want to learn more about video games and their link to violent behavior.
Notice that in the above example that keywords and synonyms are important. You will not type in your whole question into the database. Rather you will pull important terms or concepts from your question. Furthermore, rarely will your first search retrieve the exact results you need. Modify your search as you go. If you are having trouble thinking of synonyms then look at the search results to try and find more relevant or more accurate keywords from the database.
Your search results will look something like this:
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Below are some tips and tricks for using databases:
There are many databases to choose from. Below are some options to get you started.