Beyond Proquest

8/3/2019 Beyond Proquest

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Beyond ProQuest!



Welcome! Today you will be learning about effective

research strategies, particularly the use of

online databases.

We assume that you know about andhave used ProQuest in our library.



What’s “Wrong” with ProQuest?

There’s nothing “wrong” with ProQuest.

However, although ProQuest can be auseful database, our library subscribes toadditional, more specific databases that

may provide you with a more focusedsearch.



How to complete this lesson

You will need to have this presentation and aweb browser window open at the sametime.

1. Leave this presentation open.

2. Use your mouse to click on the File tab in

your web browser.3. Select either “new tab” or “new window.”



Type in our school homepage(www.pasadena.edu) in the URL

window. Then, select the library tab.



How do I decide which

database to use?

On our library homepage, you will notice

an option to browse databases by name orsubject. Choose the “By Subject” option.

See the next screen for clarification.



Choose the “by subject” link.



The databases will belisted by subject:

Multiple SubjectDatabases

Art and Music Biographies

Books and E-Books

Controversial Topics

Dictionaries

Encyclopedias

Law

Literary Criticism News

Nursing and Allied

Health Science

Social Science



Depending on your topic, you may need

to expand the scope of your research toinclude multiple subjects.



Decide which database(s) mightprove useful in your search.

Ask yourself the following questions to help you choose appropriate

database subjects and to consider the different aspects of your topic:

Would information on an author’s background help me inmy research?

Is my topic a controversial issue?

Would any dictionary or encyclopedia entries help me

define key terms? Is my topic related to art and music, law, literature, the

natural sciences, and/or the social sciences?

Which book and/or e-book catalogs help in my particular

search?



Sample Topic:

Genetic Engineering

If you were researching “geneticengineering” as a topic, which databasesdo you think would result in the bestresults?



Sample Topic:

Genetic EngineeringThese databases would probably produce the

most relevant results:

Books and E-Books

Controversial Topics

Encyclopedias Law

Nursing and Allied Health

Science



Let’s look at Books and E-Books

Under the subject heading “Books and E-Books,” two databases appear relevant to

the topic of genetic engineering:

Gale Virtual Reference Library

PCC Library Catalog



Let’s look at Controversial Topics

Under the subject heading “ControversialTopics,” you should see three specific

databases: Opposing Viewpoints in Context

CQ Researcher

SIRS Knowledge Source



Let’s Look at Encyclopedias

Under the “Encyclopedias” subject heading,you should see two relevant databases. Each

has its own merits. Take a minute to readthe description of each database.

Encyclopedia Britannica Online

World Book Web



Let’s Look at Law

Under the subject heading “Law,” you

should see the Westlaw Database , whichmight prove useful to examine what the

courts have decided with respect to the

legality of genetic engineering.



Nursing and Allied Health

Under the subject heading “Nursing and Allied Health,” you should see two options:

ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source

Salem Health

Explore each database. How are these twodatabases different?



Science

Under the “Science” heading, you should seefour databases. However, they might not allbe relevant to the topic of genetic

engineering.

Which do you think would be most

relevant?



Science

We think that these two would produce thebest results, but sometimes you have toexplore a database to see if it will work for

you.

Science Full Text Select

(H.W. Wilson Database)

PubMed Central



Now it’s your turn to practice. Page 1

Topic: Is Black English a viable medium for social and politicalexpression?

Essentially, Baldwin argues that Black English has a particular socio-political role: a tool with which to express the reality of Black America and

the history of oppression experienced by black Americans. According to

Baldwin, to belittle or repudiate the use of Black English is to belittle or

to repudiate the social and political experience of black Americans.

Research Topic: If you were going to write anargumentative composition about Black English, whatdatabases would you choose?



Take a look at the “by subject” database list:

Multiple SubjectDatabases

Art and Music Biographies

Books and E-Books

Controversial Topics Dictionaries

Encyclopedias

Law

Literary Criticism News

Nursing and Allied

Health Science

Social Science



Write down the answers to

the following questions: Would information on an author’s background help

me in my research?

Is this topic a controversial issue?

Would any dictionary or encyclopedia entries help medefine key terms?

Is my topic related to art and music, law, literature,the natural sciences, and/or the social sciences?

Which book and/or e-book catalogs help in myparticular search?



Which databases

should you use?

Based on your responses to the previous

questions, which databases should youuse?

Write down the names of these

databases. Be prepared to discuss youranswers in class.

Documents

Beyond Proquest