What is a database?
A database is a searchable, organised collection of data. Most of the databases that Maynooth University provide access to are made up of records of journal articles. Some databases have records for conference papers, books or magazine articles. The contents of each database are included in the description of the database.
What’s the difference between the LibrarySearch catalogue and a database?
LibrarySearch allows you to search for all the items held by Maynooth University Library, including books, journals, magazines, music scores, conference proceedings, government documents, and many more. Specific databases allow you to efficiently search for published information such as magazine, journal, and newspaper articles in your subject. LibrarySearch searches everything, but a database only searches specific resources.
What is a full-text database?
If some of the records in a database contain the full text of the articles, which can be viewed on and printed from your computer, then the database is a full-text database. Not all records in a full-text database will have the full-text of the article.
Can’t I find these articles on the web with a Google search?
It is possible that you could find the articles on Google Scholar. Most of what is found on a Google search is not available for free. The library buys a license for their databases so students and faculty can access them freely.
Which database should I use?
That depends on what you’re looking for. It is often a good idea to start with a multidisciplinary database such as Academic Search Complete because it has a wide variety of articles. But its coverage of scholarly articles in a subject isn’t nearly as large as a subject specific database. If you’re having trouble getting started searching databases, check out the Journals & Databases suggestions for your subject on the Library Subject Guides.
Why are there so many databases?
Because there is so much information. There is no one database that is going to cover all the resources in the library.
If I see a citation for an article, does that mean the library has the journal with that article?
Not necessarily. We may have the journal, but there are lots of journals in the world and Maynooth University does not have a subscription to all of them.
What happens if the library doesn’t have the article I want?
Then we can get it for you through Interlibrary Loans. This service provides access to material required for research that is not held in the libraries at Maynooth University and St Patrick's College, Maynooth. The service sources this material from other libraries worldwide.
What is the difference between a journal and a magazine?
“Journal” is library shorthand for “Scholarly Journal”. An article in a scholarly journal represents the research that scholar has undertaken. An article in a magazine isn’t usually written by a scholar and may or may not represent original research.
Do all databases search the same way?
The basics of searching remain the same for all databases. It is always worthwhile to check the database’s help screens to see what those quirks are.
Is there a charge for using library databases?
No. The Library provides the databases free of charge to all students and staff.