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Finding Information for Speech Pathology

A Library Guide to help with developing research projects in speech pathology (SPH516 and SPH526)

Databases and database platforms - What's the difference?

A database is an organised collection of information records that can be accessed electronically. In the Library this includes databases which have:

  • journal article (and other) citations, where there is no full-text;
  • journal article (and other) citations, where all records have the full-text attached;
  • a mixture of the first two above (this is the most common);
  • other types of records, eg. videos, images, or listings of people or companies.

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 databases they contain:

Platform Database
EBSCOhost
  • CINAHL Plus with Full Text
  • Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition
ProQuest
  • Nursing and Allied Health Source
  • ANZ Newsstream
Ovid
  • Emcare
  • MEDLINE
Informit
  • Health Collection
  • Rural and Remote Health Database

It is important to realise that, once you are in one of the database platforms, you can search across a number of databases at the same time. In some cases, the Library provides a package of subject-related databases that are in the same platform. Two examples of this are:

Finding full-text

Most library databases comprise journals and articles, and similar material.

Usually, if an article has full-text available, there will be a link somewhere close to the record.

If there is no full text link, you can click on the Find it link to search for the full article via Primo Search

If you are having trouble getting the full-text of an item, please contact the Library.

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