1. Academic Databases
October 08, 2013 DTC 356
Monday, October 7, 13

2. Search Strategy Project
Instructions: http://dtc-wsuv.org/nschiller/
dtc356/2013-fall/wp-content/uploads/sites/
32/2013/08/Search-Strategy-Project.pdf
3 parts:
1500 word database analysis
500 word search strategy
user guide for undergrads
Monday, October 7, 13

3. Analyzing a Database:
Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge
What is your database about? (What links
the records?)
Who is the audience?
Monday, October 7, 13

4. Bad Analysis:
“There are three boxes on the top of the
screen.”
This database is Ebscohost.
*Do not just describe what you see on the
page.*
Monday, October 7, 13

5. Good Analysis
Separate your database into
Content
Structure
Interface
Monday, October 7, 13

6. Examples from
Psychology Journal
Articles
What problem does your database solve?
Monday, October 7, 13

7. Indexing
Going through every item in a set and
putting it in its appropriate place.
Filtering on the way in
What kinds of documents are in PsychInfo?
(page 55)
Monday, October 7, 13

8. Field Searching
Psychology works that mention, reference, or
are about Sigmund Freud.
Psychology works written by Sigmund Freud.
Monday, October 7, 13

9. Reading a Sample
Record
What does knowing the fields tell you about
a record?
What does it tell you about a database?
Monday, October 7, 13

10. Search Stragtegies
General to specific
Keyword to subject
Free text to specialized vocabulary
Specialized vocabulary to controlled
vocabulary
Monday, October 7, 13

11. What is a Journal?
Monday, October 7, 13

12. Citations = Metadata
Standard
Ronallo, Jason. 2012. “HTML5 Microdata and
Schema.org.” Code{4}lib Journal (16)
(February 3). http://journal.code4lib.org/
articles/6400.
What is the metadata standard in Chicago
(Author-Date) style?
Monday, October 7, 13