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PLUG INsA Student Guide to
Information Literacy
DATABASES FROM HCT LIBRARIES
HCT has many online databases
for students to use to find information.
A database is a collection of information
organized in a way for easy use, for
example a telephone book or a list of
stories or articles.
Unlike, Google or other search engines
from the Internet, HCT DATABASES
are not free.
HCT pays a fee for the databases.
It is like the difference between free TV and Cable TV; on Cable TV, there are
better programs.
Of course, you must always think critically
about any information from any source. But, HCT
DATABASE information is generally trustworthy and
reliable.
Also, unlike Google, in HCT DATABASES
information is written by expert
professionals.
Or, from home after logging in
with your username and
password.
You can access the
HCT DATABASES from any
computer in the college.
From the HCT portal, click on Library.
Then, Databases
and e-Books.
Click on Databases and eBooks
Or, put this page in your “Favorites”
library.hct.ac.ae
Click on Resources,
then Databases and E-Books
Click on a SUBJECT.
Trials (temporary try outs)Business Citation ToolsCommunications Countries & CulturesDictionaries & Encyclopedias E-BooksEducationEmployee TrainingEnvironmentGeneral ResearchHealthInformation TechnologyLaw Library ScienceProfessional Development Safety TrainingScience & TechnologyUAE
The subjects
are :
Databases are also listed in alphabetical order. Click A-Z for the title list.
Sometimes, a general search in an
encyclopedia is a good way to start. But sometimes you need specialized information.
It depends.
How do you know which database to
use ?
It is like driving different cars.
There are different details but the same
functions.
Every database is different but there are some common
features.
How do you search in all
these different databases?
Most databases have a
Basic Search & an Advanced Search.
Try Basic first but go to Advanced if your results are not
focused.
In Advanced, you can search
more than one term and join them with AND, OR or NOT.
Here are some features of
databases in general.
This is what happens when you use AND. You get fewer
results.This is what
happens when you use OR. You get more
results.
This is what happens when you use NOT. You get fewer
results.
A AND B A OR B A NOT B
Most databases have a date
range. Limit to recent years if this
is important for your topic.
Most databases have a full text option.
Choose this one if you have a deadline.
Some databases have a Peer reviewed
option. This means that experts review an article before it is
published. Ask your teacher if you need to
use this.
There is a big difference between a KEYWORD search and a CONTROLLED VOCABULARY
search.
Let’s talk about words
to use for searching.
To get around this problem, databases use certain words as
CONTROLLED VOCABULARY.
When you use these words, your search
retrieves only articles where the word is the main
idea.
A KEYWORD search is usually not very
precise. It will retrieve all articles where the
keyword appears in the text. Many articles will
not be about the keyword and you will
waste your time.
How do you find the
CONTROLLED VOCABULARY ?
Look for these words on a search page:
Topics Subjects Subject Headings Subject Terms Index Terms Thesaurus Tags
Maybe better search terms would be automobiles, motor vehicles or
automotive industry.
Let’s say, you want to know about cars in the UAE but
the keyword “cars” retrieves many articles off the topic.
Most of HCT Databases are from 3 companies :
EBSCO, ProQuest and Gale.
The main search page is the same
for every database from a particular
company.
Here is the BASIC SEARCH page for
an EBSCO database.
Note the Linked Full
Text feature
Here is the ADVANCED SEARCH page for an EBSCO database.
Note the Full Text
feature on the other side of
the page
To find controlled vocabulary terms in EBSCO databases click on the Subjects tab.
…scroll down the page and
tick some of the limiters. Ask your librarian for help if
you do not find what you need.
If your search terms retrieve in too many
off-the-topic results …
This is the Basic Search page
for a ProQuest database.
Note the Full Text only
option.
Here is the Advanced Search
page for a ProQuest database.
Note the Full Text only
option.
To find the controlled vocabulary
in a ProQuest database, click on the
Topics Tab
Every database is different but with practice, you can learn
how to use them.
Lastly, let’s have a look at
the databases about the UAE.
You can find information
about business, economics, law and culture in
these databases.
Ask your teacher or your friendly
librarian if you have questions.
We hope this will help you
find the information you need in Databases.
HAPPY SEARCHING
!
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING