Unit 6: Search Tools: Subscription Databases

Lesson 1: Subscription Databases


To learn how and when to use Edison Library’s online subscription databases, let’s first define exactly what a database is.

What is a database?
A subscription database is a searchable collection of regularly updated, scholarly journal articles, which is available online. In addition to articles from scholarly journals, many databases also contain newspaper and magazine articles, primary sources, book chapters, book reviews, and more. Edison College Library subscribes to several subscription databases, for which access is restricted to Edison College students, faculty, and staff.

Where does the information come from?
Subscription databases contain citations to articles, as well as the articles themselves, from hundreds of both national and international scholarly journals. Unlike Edison Library’s online catalog, which contains descriptions of materials owned by Edison College, subscription databases contain articles and other information owned by libraries all over the world. Databases essentially allow you to search the world’s library without ever leaving home.

When should I use Edison’s subscription databases?
Use the subscription databases to find scholarly articles and other reliable information about a specific topic.

How do I use Edison’s subscription databases?
To learn how to use Edison Library’s subscription databases, simply continue this unit.


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