Why Use A Database?
Search a database to find journal, magazine, or newspaper articles. Some databases also provide access to other materials such as dissertations, book chapters, books, datasets, sound recordings, videos, etc.
- Some databases have the full text of articles. If not, try one of these three ways to figure out if the library has the journal, or call the Research Help Desk at 405-325-4142 for assistance.
- What if the library does not have a journal article that you need? We can still get it for you via our interlibrary loan service. It's free! And articles often come electronically within a few days. For more information see the interlibrary loan page.
- If you are interested in browsing a list of LIS journals, see this page.
What is the Difference Between a Popular and Scholarly Source?
If you are not familiar with scholarly publications, it can be difficult to tell the difference between scholarly and popular periodicals. There are no definitive rules for distinguishing between the two, but here are some guidelines:
Scholarly (e.g., academic journals):
- Are written by professionals within an academic field or discipline.
- Contain research projects, methodology, and theory.
- Have few, if any, advertisements.
- Use college-level or specialized vocabulary of the discipline.
- Include articles with extensive bibliographies, footnotes, or other documentation.
- Graphics are often tables, charts, and diagrams.
- Are peer-reviewed or refereed.
- A simple explanation of peer-review: other scholars in the field have evaluated a work. Check a journal's website to see what it says about the peer-review or referee process. See this page, for example.
- NOTE: Even though many databases allow you to limit to scholarly articles, it's not a guarantee that every article so limited will actually be a peer-reviewed research article. Peer-reviewed journals also contain non peer-reviewed content such as book reviews and editorials.
Popular (e.g., magazines, newspapers):
- Are written by journalists.
- Contain general news articles written to inform, update, or introduce a new issue.
- Have many full-color, full-page advertisements.
- Use a general, non-technical vocabulary.
- Include articles with little or no documentation.
- Graphics are often full-color pictures and illustrations.
Subject Specific Databases
- Communication Source (Ebsco)Communication, linguistics, rhetoric and discourse, speech-language pathology, media studies. References to or full text of journal and magazine articles, books, and book reviews.
- ERIC (Education; Ebsco)Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. References to or full text of journal articles and research reports, which are generally not peer reviewed (ERIC Documents).
NOTE: Note: The Department of Education is working with the Department of Government Efficiency to "reduce overall spending" and "reallocate spending to promote efficiency" (EO14222). As a result, the number of records added to the ERIC collection will be significantly reduced from approximately 1,200 to 700 (roughly 45%) by April 25, 2025. All records currently in ERIC will remain. Indexed journals confirmed to be removed are being added to this list. The Libraries has subscriptions to other resources that provide scholarly sources about education, including Education Full Text and Professional Development Collection. - Professional Development Collection (Ebsco)Education and related fields. References or links to the full text of academic journal articles and professional periodical articles.
- ProQuest One Business (formerly ABI/INFORM)Focus is on business and management topics, but includes many other subjects as well. References to or full text of journal, magazine, and newspaper articles, books, videos, company reports, and more.
- PsycINFO (Proquest)Psychology and related disciplines in the behavioral sciences. References to or full text of journal articles, books, dissertations, and more.
Library and Information Studies
These databases are hosted by EBSCO. Search them at the same time by choosing a database, and then clicking again on the name of the database, once you are in. From there, choose the names of the databases you would like to search.
- Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA; Ebsco)Information science literature and related disciplines, including librarianship, classification, cataloging, bibliometrics, online information retrieval, information management and more. References to or full text of journal and magazine articles, books, research reports, and proceedings.
- Library Literature & Information Science (Ebsco )Library and information science, knowledge management, technology and information issues. References to or full text of journal and magazine articles, books, conference proceedings, theses, and book reviews.
- Library Literature & Information Science Retrospective (1905-1983; Ebsco)The archive of the database listed above.
Computer Science
- ACM Digital LibraryComputer science. From the Association for Computing Machinery and affiliated organizations.
- IEEE ExploreCoverage includes the field of information technology. From IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Multidisciplinary Databases
- Academic Search Complete (Ebsco)Multidisciplinary database. References to or full text of journal and magazine articles, major newspaper articles, book reviews, and more.
- Google ScholarGoogle Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web.
When off campus, be sure to access Google Scholar settings > library links > type in University of Oklahoma. - JSTORIncludes the full text and complete archives of core scholarly journals in many disciplines, some dating from the 1600s. Current issues may not be available.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (was Dissertation Abstracts)Millions of searchable citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day together with over a million full-text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format. Includes UK & Ireland content.
NOTE: Many universities have started archiving dissertations locally rather than through this database. Try a search in Worldcat, note the name of the institution where the dissertation was written, and go to that institution's catalog to see if a copy is in a local repository.
Most OU dissertations are full text through summer 2013; after that date, find OU dissertations in SHAREOK. - Web of Science (Clarivate)Multidisciplinary database. Includes a "cited reference" search. (A type of search that allows you to find articles that cite a previously published work.)
Specialized Databases
These databases are not for finding journal articles. They provide specialized information that various types of librarians frequently use.
Book and Serial Directories and Information
- Books In PrintProvides extensive bibliographic, format and cost information, as well as information on reviews, awards, and synopses for millions of titles.
- UlrichswebProvides detailed information on serials published throughout the world.
Children's Librarianship
- Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)Over 500,000 reviews and related information about children's literature.
- Something About The AuthorExamines the lives and works of authors and illustrators for children and young adults. This series spotlights more than 12,000 individuals in entries that typically cover personal life, career, writings, adaptations, and additional sources.
Classification
- Library of Congress Classification WebWeb access to the Library of Congress classification schedules and the Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Technology
- Library Technology ReportsHelps librarians make informed decisions about technology projects and purchases. Reports may address the application of technology to library services, offer evaluative descriptions of specific products or product classes, or cover emerging technology. Ceased publication as a subscription-based product in 2022.