LibGuides: Archer Library Online • Summer Courses: Databases & OneSearch

What is a Database?

Research databases are an organized collection of resources, such as scholarly journals, periodicals, peer-reviewed articles, newspapers, eBooks, or media, available to users online. They are a powerful search tool providing students the ability to modify results and find credible information.

Select Multidisciplinary Databases

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Academic Search Complete, designed specifically for academic institutions, is the world's most comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database supporting high-level research for academic study. It provides access to more than 5,800 full-text periodicals, including 4,400 peer-reviewed journals.
Academic Search Complete includes rigorous curation and indexing of open access (OA) journals, which has resulted in a growing collection of 6,734 active global OA journals. It also offers more than 75,000 videos from the Associated Press.
Electronic Journal Center (EJC) This link opens in a new window
OhioLINK’s Electronic Journal Center (EJC) is the first place Ohio’s college students and researchers go to find the latest journal articles. It contains over 32 million full-text articles in 10,000 journals from large publishers to small presses.
Content is funded through a combination of OhioLINK central funds and member library contributions. Coverage spans the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Many of the library research databases contain citations linking to full-text articles in the EJC. Dates covered: 1800s-present.
Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Provides contextual and authoritative articles, research reports, videos, statistics, and opinion on hundreds of current social issues. This cross-curricular resource supports science, social studies, current events, and language arts classes. Informed, differing views help learners develop critical-thinking skills and draw their own conclusions.
Drawing on the Greenhaven Press series and frequently updated, it provides viewpoints, topic overviews, full-text articles (from magazines, academic journals, and newspapers), primary source documents, statistics, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites. (Gale)
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines. Collections include peer-reviewed scholarly journals, literary journals, book chapters, research reports, and primary sources.
Journals include the full archival run up to the moving wall established for each journal; most recent issues are not included.
TOPICSearch This link opens in a new window
A current events database covering social, political, and economic issues, scientific discoveries, and other popular topics. Contains full text of over one hundred thousand articles from diverse sources including international and regional newspapers, periodicals, biographies, public opinion polls, book reviews, and government information.
The search options allow users to select particular current events and popular topics from drop-down menus.

General Reference

Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new window
Guide for researchers in any discipline to the meaning, history, and usage of over 500,000 words and phrases across the English-speaking world.
OED entries describe the origin, meaning, and history of each word by analyzing evidence of usage from the earliest known to the most recent. Currently there are almost 850,000 definitions in the dictionary, and around 15,000 definitions are added each year.
Oxford Reference This link opens in a new window
Oxford Reference is the premier online reference product, spanning 25 different subject areas, bringing together 2 million digitized entries across Oxford University Press’s Dictionaries, Companions and Encyclopedias.
Of the several hundred reference works on the site more than 60 are accessible based on purchase by OhioLINK. Accessible content is indicated with an open padlock. (Oxford University Press)
Oxford Research Encyclopedias This link opens in a new window
In-depth, peer-reviewed summaries on a range of disciplines including business and management, climate science, criminology and criminal justice, education, environmental science, international studies, literature, politics, psychology, and religion..
These encyclopedias provide authoritative, objective overviews of significant topics. (Oxford University Press).
Points of View Reference Source This link opens in a new window
Points of View Reference Source covers hundreds of topics, each with an Overview (objective background/description), Point (argument) and Counterpoint (opposing argument).
Each topic also features a Guide to Critical Analysis which helps the reader evaluate the controversy and enhances students’ ability to read critically, develop their own perspective on the issues, and write or debate an effective argument on the topic.

Getting Started

OneSearch

OneSearch is a research discovery tool searching a full-range of Archer Library's databases, and the library catalog, with a single search. It will help you locate books, articles, eBooks, and available media.

Consider • What to Expect

OneSearch is a useful first step for your research.

OneSearch can save time and may lead you to sources otherwise overlooked. It is incredibly useful when you just need basic information to start the research process, whether from a book or journal article.

OneSearch is a great tool when you think you have exhausted all other sources and want to verify you have not overlooked a database or book.

OneSearch • Global Warming Example

Click here, or on the image, to view live search results.

Research Starter • Global Warming