Finding Information

2.6. Databases

What is a database, and why might you want to use databases to search for information? Drag the correct words into the gaps below:

Let’s take a look at a search example of a question below taken from a past Geography exam paper.

Once you have identified the three key elements to this question you can enter the keywords into a database of your choice to start searching on the topics.  

To find any Queen Mary Library subscribed databases  - go to the Queen Mary Library Website. Below the Library Search is the A-Z list of Databases. This is the quickest way to access databases if you know the exact one you’d like to use.

However, if you are not sure which database to use  - we suggest you go to Resources Guides by Subject  and then click on your subject to see a list of databases recommended for your study discipline.

Scopus and Web of Science are both multidisciplinary databases which you can use to search any topics.

Our short video demo shows you how to search Scopus using  the three keywords from a Geography exam paper question.

The search technique can also be used with many of the of the other databases which are available via the library.