Nursing - Bryant Center

Most of the library resources live in databases. Databases collect information and make that information searchable. A complete list of our databases can be viewed on the A to Z page, but databases are not limited to library resources. Databases you are more likely to be familiar with are things like Netflix or Spotify. Databases have some common characteristics, whether they are for academic research or personal use:

• Databases collect information around a specific topic or field. For the Netflix and Spotify example, the "topics" would be movies/tv shows and music. The Library's academic databases cover topics such as business, history, current events, and much more.
• Databases collect specific types of information. Netflix has video files and Spotify has music files. The Library's databases include print books, ebooks, journal articles, magazine and newspaper articles, videos, photographs, and maps, among other things.

With those two things in mind, picking the right database to search is key in academic research. If you want more information on how to create good search terms, how to pair them using Boolean searching, filtering options, check out the Search Strategies Guide.