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Academic Databases, Journals, and Articles

Lori Mullooly

Created on October 28, 2024

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Transcript

The Research Ecosystem: How Databases House Articles and Journals

Academic Database

Academic Journal #1

Academic Journal #5

Academic Journal #3

Academic Journal #2

Academic Journal #4

How will knowing this help me?

Graphic adapted from and definitions taken from the University of Denver Library Library's FAQs. "What’s the difference between a journal and a database?"

What is an academic database?

A database is an online tool comprised of many journals that often focuses on a broad area. Databases are constantly updated. A database’s name doesn’t always indicate their scope. Some examples of academic databases are:

  • EbscoHost - multidisciplinary
  • JSTOR - multidisciplinary
  • Science Direct - physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities
  • PubMed - biomedical literature
  • Computer Science - 600 journals on computer-related topics
Why does this matter?

Understanding how databases, journals, and articles fit together will help you when you are searching for academic sources! Generally, databases will get you more initial results since they search a greater area, but some of those results might not be as relevant to your topic. Searching within one journal will get you fewer results, but they might be more relevant. For example, if a student is writing a paper on Cormac McCarthy, they might want to start by searching The Cormac McCarthy Journal and then move on to a database that covers literature like JSTOR. You’ll also need to know the difference when constructing a citation since most citations require the journal title and the database name.

What is an academic journal?

A journal is a publication comprised of articles that focuses on one specific topic or area. Some journals may only be published once a year while other may be published more frequently. Often a journal’s title will indicate their topic. Some examples of journals are:

  • National Military Strategy of the United States
  • Journal of Experimental Psychology
  • Journal of Natural History
  • American Journal of Business
  • Ecological Engineering
What is an academic journal article?

An academic journal article is a brief work—generally between 1 and 35 pages in length—on a specific topic. They are published in academic journals and relate to the topic of a specific journal. For example:

  • The article "British Military Intelligence in Cyprus during the Great War" is published in the journal War in History.
  • The journal War in History is one of the journals found in the JSTOR database.

What is an academic database?

A database is an online tool comprised of many journals that often focuses on a broad area. Examples of databases:

  • ABI/Inform Complete (Business related journals)
  • JSTOR (Multi-disciplinary journals)
  • PsycINFO (Behavioral science and mental health journals)
  • Web of Science (Sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities journals)