Skip to Main Content

*The Research Process: A Guide for GWC Students

Use library resources to locate and evaluate information for your class assignments.

Choosing a Database

Library databases provide you with 24/7 access to materials such as magazine, journal and newspaper articles, to name a few.

To help you identify the most appropriate database for your research topic:

Video: From Idea to Library

Not sure what a database is and why they are important?

Watch this short video!

Periodicals Defined

PERIODICALS

Periodicals are publications which are issued at regular intervals, such as journals, magazines, and newspapers.

To help you identify different periodicals, refer to the Types of Periodicals guide.

Article Formats

Depending on the database you are using, articles may be displayed in different formats:

  • Index: Includes only the article citation (i.e., author, title, date, etc.). Neither a summary nor the full-text of the article is available.
  • Abstract: Includes the citation and a summary of the article's content. It does not include the full-text article.
  • Full-text: Includes the citation and full-text article. This may be in HTML, PDF, or both formats

Most databases at GWC will default to show you only full-text results. You can change this option if you wish.

Open Source Journals

Open AccessOpen access journals provide unrestricted, free access via the Internet to peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles. However, it is often much easier to search the databases your library subscribes to first.

Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License unless noted otherwise.