Library Home: CSUB First Year Seminar: Articles and Databases

Selecting A Database

List of Databases
Use this A-Z list of database to find articles. You can sort the list by subject to find exactly what you are looking for. You may contact your librarian or the reference desk for additional help with selecting a database.
Subject Guides
Using a subject guide designed by a librarian will also help you decide which database are appropriate for your research needs.
Research Help

Find Articles Using OneSearch

TIPS FOR SEARCHING

Separate your thesis into the main concepts or keywords, and then use the following Boolean operators to narrow or broaden a search.

AND – Narrows your search. Used to connect two or more concepts/keywords together. Example: education AND technology
OR – Expands results. Terms are searched separately. Use with synonyms. Example: Ipad OR tablet OR chromebook
NOT - Eliminates a term. Example: early education AND children NOT infants
Truncation – use the (*) sign in the databases to find variants of a word. Example: educat* – finds educate, educated, educating, education, educational

Select a title from your results to see your options:

TOOLS - Email, print, cite, or save the title

VIEW IT - Click on the linked database to view the FULL ARTICLE. You may be asked to login once again.

Occasionally, you may see No full-text under a title. Although we may not have the article immediately available, there are still other options for you to obtain it.

Selecting the title will provide you with the option to request the article through InterLibrary Loan. After logging in and requesting it, the article will arrive electronically within 1 week, sometimes sooner. You will be notified via email when your article is ready to view.

Creating a Search Statement

Example topic: Education and technology

Example question: How do IPads impact literacy in early childhood?

Example thesis: The use of IPads in preschool classrooms enhance student literacy rates in later years.

Search Statement: (IPad OR tablet OR touchscreen) AND (literacy OR learn OR read OR illiteracy) AND (child OR toddler OR "early childhood" OR preschooler OR kindergartner)

CSUB First Year Seminar

Where to Start

Selecting A Database

Find Articles Using OneSearch

Creating a Search Statement

Academic Search Complete