Library Guides: ENM109/163 Research Skills Guide: Searching in journal databases

Databases and database platforms

A DATABASE is an organised collection of information records that can be accessed electronically.

A DATABASE PLATFORM is a company which provides access to a number of databases, via a search interface unique to that company, where the databases can be searched/browsed individually or together.

The 4 main database platforms, and examples of Environmental Science databases they contain:

Platform	Database
EBSCOhost	GreenFILE
ProQuest	ProQuest SciTech Collection ProQuest Science Journals
Informit	Australian Heritage Bibliography
Ovid	CAB Abstracts

In some cases, the Library provides a package of subject-related databases that are in the same platform. For example:

ProQuest SciTech Premium Collection
A comprehensive package of databases in the ProQuest platform, covering the natural and applied sciences.

ProQuest SciTech Premium Collection consists of three subsidiary collections which you can search individually if you wish. Two of these contain further collections/databases in the ProQuest hierarchy:
* Natural Science Collection - consisting of the Agricultural & Environmental Science Collection, the Biological Science Collection, and the Earth, Atmospheric & Aquatic Science Database
* Science Database
* Technology Collection - consisting of the Advanced Technologies & Aerospace Collection, and the Materials Science & Engineering Collection.

Content is sourced from scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, government publications, and more.

Topics include: advanced technologies; aerospace; agricultural science; aquatic science; atmospheric science; biological science; computer science; earth science; engineering; environmental science; materials science; polymer science.

The date range is from 1946 to current.

More information is available from ProQuest's SciTech Premium Collection LibGuide.

Once you are in the ProQuest platform, you can change to any other ProQuest database: click on the hamburger menu at the top left of any ProQuest screen, then click on Change databases. The databases are listed in a hierarchy. For another broad collection of databases in the science area, try ProQuest's subject package of Science & Technology Databases.
ProQuest Science and Technology Databases
A package of ProQuest databases all with science-and-technology-related material. Includes databases covering advanced technologies, aerospace science, biological science, computing, engineering, environmental sciences, geosciences, general science, library & information science, materials science, natural sciences, and telecommunications.

ProQuest Science & Technology Databases is ProQuest's subject area package of 19 databases with science-and-technology-related material. Some of these databases are the science-and-technology subset of a larger database. For example, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: Science & Technology is a subset of ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Other databases - eg. SciTech Premium Collection - are collections of databases.

Most of these resources contain full-text material. As with all ProQuest databases, where a record in your results does not have the full-text attached, you can use the Find a copy links to search for the full item elsewhere.

The main databases in this collection are:
* Agriculture Database
* Biological Science Database
* Computer Science Database
* Environmental Science Database
* GeoRef - note: the two databases in this collection do not contain full-text material
* Materials Science Database
* Research Library: Science & Technology
* Science Database
* SciTech Premium Collection - note: a collection of subsidiary databases
* Telecommunications Database.

Once you are in the ProQuest platform, you can change to any other ProQuest database by clicking on the Change databases tab in the top menu. You can search all ProQuest databases individually or in any combination.

Why should you use journal databases?

Journal databases:

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

You can find the Library's databases on the Journal Databases page.

Databases are grouped into subject areas. The Environmental Studies journal databases will be particularly useful for your study.

What is a database?

Online journal articles explained

Online Journal Articles Explained
An infographic in PDF format which explains how journal articles get published in online databases.

Journal articles and library databases

Understanding journal databases

Need some help with understanding how to use journal databases? See our Database Help Library Resource Guide.

Journal database videos are available on our Charles Sturt University Library YouTube Channel.

Activity

Go to the list of Environmental Studies databases, and select ProQuest Natural Science Collection.

In the Advanced Search screen, try searching for the history of marine conversation in Australia. Here are your keywords to consider:

"marine conservation" AND australia*
AND
histor* OR past OR background

How many results?
Look for Full Text - PDF links to access the full text of articles in your results.
If there is no link to full text, click on the Find a copy button to check if the article is available elsewhere. Note that, in most databases, this button appear as Find it [@] CSU, but in ProQuest databases it is tagged as Find a copy.