Using databases

You'll come across the words 'journal articles' or 'journal databases' often throughout your studies. But what are they and how can we use them to find information?

Journal articles are papers written by experts in the field. They are usually scholarly in nature and are reliable sources of information. The best place to find journal articles are in our Library databases.

Library databases

Library databases are collections of resources that you can search and browse online. Some databases are subject-specific, and some can cover a range of subjects.

Though databases mainly provide access to journals and articles, they can also contain other resources such as:

  • trade journals
  • newspapers articles
  • eBooks
  • theses and dissertations
  • videos
  • images
  • company records.

Why you should use a database

Library databases are often subject specific and used to search across many journals at once. Library databases:

  • are the best source of academic or scholarly information for your assessments
  • help you locate peer reviewed articles
  • are subject specific, so that you get more relevant results
  • have many options for refining results.

How to search in a database

Databases often have similar search functions and filters, though there are instances where they are applied differently.

Learn more: database help guide

Other useful information

A-Z databases

Find the best library databases for your research.

Finding Online Journal Articles workshop

In this workshop, you'll learn how to find scholarly journal articles using Primo Search, Google Scholar, and Library databases.

Using Library Databases workshop

In this workshop, learn about searching in databases and how to make the most of your results.