PLUG INsA Student Guide to

Information Literacy

DATABASES FROM HCT LIBRARIES

HCT has many online databases

for students to use to find information.

A database is a collection of information

organized in a way for easy use, for

example a telephone book or a list of

stories or articles.

Unlike, Google or other search engines

from the Internet, HCT DATABASES

are not free.

HCT pays a fee for the databases.

It is like the difference between free TV and Cable TV; on Cable TV, there are

better programs.

Of course, you must always think critically

about any information from any source. But, HCT

DATABASE information is generally trustworthy and

reliable.

Also, unlike Google, in HCT DATABASES

information is written by expert

professionals.

Or, from home after logging in

with your username and

password.

You can access the

HCT DATABASES from any

computer in the college.

From the HCT portal, click on Library.

Then, Databases

and e-Books.

Click on Databases and eBooks

Or, put this page in your “Favorites”

library.hct.ac.ae

Click on Resources,

then Databases and E-Books

Click on a SUBJECT.

Trials (temporary try outs)Business Citation ToolsCommunications Countries & CulturesDictionaries & Encyclopedias E-BooksEducationEmployee TrainingEnvironmentGeneral ResearchHealthInformation TechnologyLaw Library ScienceProfessional Development Safety TrainingScience & TechnologyUAE

The subjects

are :

Databases are also listed in alphabetical order. Click A-Z for the title list.

Sometimes, a general search in an

encyclopedia is a good way to start. But sometimes you need specialized information.

It depends.

How do you know which database to

use ?

It is like driving different cars.

There are different details but the same

functions.

Every database is different but there are some common

features.

How do you search in all

these different databases?

Most databases have a

Basic Search & an Advanced Search.

Try Basic first but go to Advanced if your results are not

focused.

In Advanced, you can search

more than one term and join them with AND, OR or NOT.

Here are some features of

databases in general.

This is what happens when you use AND. You get fewer

results.This is what

happens when you use OR. You get more

results.

This is what happens when you use NOT. You get fewer

results.

A AND B A OR B A NOT B

Most databases have a date

range. Limit to recent years if this

is important for your topic.

Most databases have a full text option.

Choose this one if you have a deadline.

Some databases have a Peer reviewed

option. This means that experts review an article before it is

published. Ask your teacher if you need to

use this.

There is a big difference between a KEYWORD search and a CONTROLLED VOCABULARY

search.

Let’s talk about words

to use for searching.

To get around this problem, databases use certain words as

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY.

When you use these words, your search

retrieves only articles where the word is the main

idea.

A KEYWORD search is usually not very

precise. It will retrieve all articles where the

keyword appears in the text. Many articles will

not be about the keyword and you will

waste your time.

How do you find the

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY ?

Look for these words on a search page:

Topics Subjects Subject Headings Subject Terms Index Terms Thesaurus Tags

Maybe better search terms would be automobiles, motor vehicles or

automotive industry.

Let’s say, you want to know about cars in the UAE but

the keyword “cars” retrieves many articles off the topic.

Most of HCT Databases are from 3 companies :

EBSCO, ProQuest and Gale.

The main search page is the same

for every database from a particular

company.

Here is the BASIC SEARCH page for

an EBSCO database.

Note the Linked Full

Text feature

Here is the ADVANCED SEARCH page for an EBSCO database.

Note the Full Text

feature on the other side of

the page

To find controlled vocabulary terms in EBSCO databases click on the Subjects tab.

…scroll down the page and

tick some of the limiters. Ask your librarian for help if

you do not find what you need.

If your search terms retrieve in too many

off-the-topic results …

This is the Basic Search page

for a ProQuest database.

Note the Full Text only

option.

Here is the Advanced Search

page for a ProQuest database.

Note the Full Text only

option.

To find the controlled vocabulary

in a ProQuest database, click on the

Topics Tab

Every database is different but with practice, you can learn

how to use them.

Lastly, let’s have a look at

the databases about the UAE.

You can find information

about business, economics, law and culture in

these databases.

Ask your teacher or your friendly

librarian if you have questions.

We hope this will help you

find the information you need in Databases.

HAPPY SEARCHING

!

THANK YOU FOR

LISTENING