OMNIA let's you search Magale's entire collection - all genres, all source types. All you need is a keyword or two to start.
We collect a few types of databases, but most are simply organized collections of academic ("peer-reviewed" or "scholarly") journals, usually organized into areas of study or disciplines. The best databases for you to use will depend on your chosen genre. Here are some of the best for many purposes:
Some basics:
Below, you can see a typical advanced search interface, from a database you could use if you wanted to find academic articles, philosophical treatises, book reviews in the philosophy field, and a variety of essay types. (All genres!) Notice the availability of multiple fields, and notice the basic structure of the interface, which is common to most database tools.
You can initiate searches for genre basics just with the genre you're researching, and from among the browsable source and subject headings. More on using these tools elsewhere in this guide!
Here are some basic maxims for successful research database use:
- avoid typing full sentences/questions: DISTILL THE CONCEPTS and use those as your terms
- separate your main search terms in different fields: AND/OR
- think about where you want your search terms to occur: TITLE, SUBJECT, KEYWORD
You should have already searched the catalog to see whether we have any monographs with relevant subjects, titles, or perhaps even chapters that might be relevant to establishing background information and context for your research question. If not, go do that! (Here is a link to the catalog.)
What you see below is a different list of databases; the databases enumerated here contain mostly eBooks. (Yes, there is eBook content in some of the dbs to the left. Let's not split hairs.)
