Demystifying Research Databases for Your Coursework
Research databases can be the most mystifying resource to students. This guide is designed to give you the tools and resources to delineate the research process using databases. Databases are a rich source of authoritative information-it pays to take time to learn how to use them. What types of materials are in Wallace’s databases? Research databases http://wally.rit.edu/electronic/electronic.html contain journal / magazine articles (40+ databases are full-text), indexes / abstracts, e-books, reports, standards, conference proceedings, transcripts, statistics, images, directories, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and more. How can I learn about using databases? The first / most comprehensive tool to use is, Introduction to Databases: A Guided Tour at: http://wally.rit.edu/instruction/dl/dbaseoverview.html. This Flash presentation (only 4 minutes long or self-paced) will be a trusty guide enabling you to successfully use any Wallace database. How do I know which database to use? It depends on what topic you are interested in. Database descriptions by subject are located at: http://wally.rit.edu/electronic/guide/subject.html Another place to look is under Librarian Recommended Resources: http://wally.rit.edu/electronic/electronic.html Each subject area has a smaller list of related databases, plus librarian subject specialist contact information (ask for assistance!), subject-specific research guides (very valuable!) and authoritative websites. As a distance learner, can I access Wallace’s databases from East Texas? Yes, anyone who has Internet access and a RIT DCE (distributed computing environment) account can access databases, 24x7. Need a DCE account? Contact Marianne Buehler, mabwml@firstclass.rit.edu / 585.475.5589 or Online Learning. Are there any other database resources I should know about? At: http://wally.rit.edu/instruction/dl/rdresources.html there is a list of further database resources.