Getting Started with Education Databases

							Getting Started with Education
          Databases
   Education Literature Datasets
           Searching Databases
• Databases are designed to help you search for
  material on your topic – they do not always lead you
  to full text articles. They bring together a whole host
  of different journal titles and other publications
  usually offering basic bibliographical details and an
  abstract.

• Databases primarily exist to tell you what’s been
  written on your topic – not necessarily what’s held in
  the library. No library could possibly hold every single
  item that’s ever been written
    Databases and Full Text Articles

• Some databases will give you direct links to
  their own collections of full text journals

• You need to click here

to check other possible holdings (i.e. other
electronic providers, hard copy locations etc.)
www.manchester.ac.uk/library
Click on what you need …
Choose your subject from the A-Z
            listings
   Subject Specific resources –
including Databases – click on this




                      Lots of other tailored
                     resources available eg
                      Useful Internet sites
  Databases have
been cherry-picked
  for your chosen
School – scroll down
  the list to select
 British Education
      Index….
        This is contained within Education
                 Literature Datasets




Follow the                        Tick British Education
                                 Index – and select Easy
  link….                                Search….
Allows you to type a phrase and it will match your words
against its indices to point you towards relevant material
       For a more
     comprehensive
     search you may
     wish to Choose
    Advanced Search




    Ticking the
Thesaurus Mapping
box will connect your
  words to related
      terms…
       For a more
     comprehensive
     search you may
     wish to Choose
    Advanced Search




    Ticking the
Thesaurus Mapping
box will connect your
  words to related
      terms…
Select what you think may be relevant
            and search…



                             These are the
                                  terms -
                           ‘Descriptors’ - by
                                which the
                               database is
                           indexed…. How
                           it ‘talks’ to you…
Fewer but more focussed results…
  follow the              links
Variety of suppliers – choose
    appropriate coverage
Follow through for full text…. Look for
           pdf references…
Cover sheet… shows you have access
             rights…


                            Scroll
                          down to
                         access full
                           text….
Success!
Take 2…again click on
Gratification is not always immediate….
    Not available in electronic form
It’s not over yet – go directly to the
            catalogue…
“More search options” allows you to limit
  your search to our journal holdings
It pays to be persistent…
Copies in Store…!


                Follow Instructions
                to retrieve material
                    from Store…
Broader searches are also possible …
   other instances of Blackboards!


                      To get the most out
                      of the database you
                      need to address it in
                      its own language…
A growing research area….so rather
          more results…!
Ways to limit your results…




                     A range of useful
                      options that can
                     help to streamline
                      your searching.
                         Well worth
                       exploring and
                          utilising.
Limits aren’t immediate... You need to
    combine your search terms…
Add and combine with further
   terms…it’s up to you!
Building a search….. Lots of small steps is
    best and you can housekeep too...!
You can save your searches for
        another day…
Rerun for latest research findings or set
               up alerts…
             Need further help?

                    Please contact
                      Ian Fishwick
       Faculty Team Librarian for Education & Law
             John Rylands University Library
                University of Manchester

          email: ian.fishwick@manchester.ac.uk


http://www.manchester.ac.uk/library/academicsupport/subjects/education