Why are there so many different databases?
Answer
We offer so many databases because they vary in several key ways:
- Type of content: We typically think of databases holding only articles, but this is not always true. Some databases hold images, videos, full-text pieces of literature, music and more.
- Focus: Many databases focus on only one specific subject area or disciplinary field. This is very helpful for advanced researchers who only want information relevant to work in their own field.
- Access to content: Some databases link you directly to full-text and other databases provide basic article information (a.k.a. indexing that includes citations and abstracts only) that you can use to discover the existence of an article.
- Type of search: Databases often have different search features. We like to give you options, so you can select the search you feel most comfortable with!
There is occasionally overlap between databases - for example, when an important journal is included in multiple databases. However, we make sure that there is enough unique content in these databases to justify including it in our collection and using it for your research projects!
To see all the databases available to you at Pilgrim Library, visit our library's home page, and click on the "Database A to Z" tab. To see databases recommended for a specific subject or major, visit our Research Guides listing.