Once you choose the appropriate database, you need to find articles or materials that suit your topic.

Not only must you be sure that you are using the right database for your subject, you also have to decide what kind of resources you want in a database, and how much information the database gives you.

Are you looking for newspaper articles, magazine articles, such as Newsweek or Time, or more scholarly articles? Some databases concentrate on newspaper articles, whereas others index information on scholarly or peer-reviewed articles  (please click here for a discussion of peer-reviewed articles) In addition, some databases only give you citations, or references to, articles, while other databases will give you the actual article online. (Remember, journals come in various formats: electronic, paper and microform (for an explanation of microforms, please click here).

Types of Databases: Provides:
Index/citations Reference only
Index/abstracting Some information
Index/full text Whole article
   
 
Scholarly Level of Resources:
Newspapers Least
Magazines Still Not Great
Scholarly Journals Better
Peer Reviewed Scholarly Journals The Best

Just as with books, when you find the right article, it is important for you to use its bibliography, which can lead you to more sources that are relevant.