What is Academic Research Database

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss searching archival databases both for a literature review and searching through secondary data sources or archival data sources. Moreover, while some readers may turn to a Google search, the idea of a systematic, well-structured search is valuable, and this chapter outlines some of the benefits. The use of academic databases may seem quaint or antiquated. However, such academic research databases provide many powerful features to support both fast and thorough searches. The author also addresses notetaking because the reading you do can be limited if you are not taking effective notes that you can use in your writing and in the analysis of whether you have more literature you still must find. The value of notes and how to use them to develop your literature review is also addressed. This chapter discusses some of the challenges of searches and different methods and outlines an array of tips and strategies to both do fast, quick, and dirty searches and more comprehensive and in-depth searches.