Databases are online tools that help you search for articles on a particular topic. Article databases are organized by broad subject areas (e.g. biology, art, political science, etc.), and some are interdisciplinary databases or ones that search across multiple disciplines. The database you use depends on the topic or subject you have chosen and the type of information you need to access.
How to pick a database:
The Library has access to hundreds of databases -- organized by broad subject areas. Try browsing our Databases A-Z list, or see our list of Subject Guides that recommend appropriate databases by subject.
Starting with an interdisciplinary database:
Not sure where to start? Maybe your topic spans a couple of disciplines (e.g., Bioengineering)? Some suggested databases to start with are:
Multidisciplinary database with 17,800+ journals and magazines, of which 16,000+ are peer-reviewed and 8,750+ are full-text. Also included are books, conference papers and proceedings, government documents, newspapers, video content, and more. Coverage begins in 1887, with material in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Portuguese.
Indexes over 18,000 journals in all subjects (coverage back to 1900 for science and social science journals), as well as 80,000 books and more than 180K conference proceedings. Includes the popular "cited reference search" to identify papers which have cited a previously published work or author. Can also sort by "times cited" and find related articles based on commonly cited works.
Search by subject or browse 2,600+ full-text titles, predominantly scholarly journals and books in social sciences, history, humanities, and science and mathematics, to their earliest issues. Many titles extend as far back as late 19th or early 20th centuries; most recent 3-5 years often not included. JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
Library of over 2.5 million digital images and their corresponding metadata. Covers many time periods and cultures, and documents the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, design, anthropology, ethnographic and women's studies, as well as many other forms of visual culture
1934-present, with selective coverage back to 1741. Lists journal articles in architecture, and related fields such as archaeology, urban planning, historic preservation, interior design
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
GBI is a great first-stop for business and management information. It includes information on companies and industries from business and trade journals, academic journals, industry reports, newspapers, newsletters, and classic business reference sources. Search on a company name. In the search results, click on individual companies to open well-organized company profiles.
Dates of coverage vary, some journals back to early 20th century. Abstracts and full text in virtually all subject areas related to Business, Management and Finance. Journal and magazine articles; also books, industry reports, company profiles, SWOT analysis, much more
Abstracts journal articles, books, dissertations, and working papers in economics. New records added monthly. Produced by American Economic Association.
Nexis Uni contains thousands of full-text sources including newspapers, wires, transcripts, newsletters, magazines, trade journals; also industry news, company information, law reviews, court decisions, statutes. Coverage dates vary. International and U.S. sources.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
1966-present. Sponsored by the U.S. Dept of Education; provides access to educational-related literature. Coverage includes journal articles and non-journal sources in education which are not available online. If not online, write down the ED# located in the 'Accession Number' field of the record, and check the ERIC documents microfiche cabinets located in the Geisel Library Reference Area.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
1863-present. International database for research on history of all regions (except the U.S. and Canada) from 1450 to the current decade. Content includes
indexing of historical articles from more than 2,300 journals in over 40 languages.
Provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of authors from every age and literary discipline.
The premiere bibliographic database covering worldwide research in all subject areas of philosophy. It contains works on philosophy from both philosophy and interdisciplinary sources. There are author-written abstracts for most records. The global database contains more than 680,000 records with source publications from 139 countries in 37 languages. The primary languages are English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Primary coverage spans from 1940 to present with additional records dating back to 1893.
Search by subject or browse full text scholarly journals in the arts and humanities, social sciences and mathematics. More than 700 journals from over 250 university presses and scholarly publishers are available. Coverage begins 1906 or later, depending on the publication. UCSD also has access to over 30,000 book titles.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
A database offering the most relevant and valuable materials in the area of food studies. It includes works about how food shapes and defines people's lives through the eyes of philosophers, historians, scientists, sociologists, artists, anthropologists, activists, physicists, psychologists, chefs, and many other important researchers.
Nexis Uni contains thousands of full-text sources including newspapers, wires, transcripts, newsletters, magazines, trade journals; also industry news, company information, law reviews, court decisions, statutes. Coverage dates vary. International and U.S. sources.
1972-present. Lists print and electronic articles, books, and government publications on issues of public policy, including politics, government, economy, marine policy, law.
1597-present. From the American Psychological Association. Provides access to scholarly literature in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences. Includes journal articles, books, chapters, and dissertations. Includes approximately 2,500 journals. Updated weekly and includes an index of PsycArticles.
1975-present. Research within the political science discipline and its complementary fields, including international relations, law, and public administration/policy. Use the Get it at UC button to find full text, print, and/or request the item from another library.
Remember, you will need to connect to the UCSD network to access these resources from off campus.
The ASFA database is a premier source for aquatic resources, covering over 7,000 journals, books, reports, & conference proceedings mainly from 1971 - to present, with some coverage back to the 1800s. This database is ideal for research in the areas of aquaculture, aquatic organisms, aquatic pollution, conservation, fisheries, marine biotechnology, oceanography, policy & legislation, and wildlife management.
Consult the ProQuest online guide for help searching this database, features for refining your search, saving results as alerts or RSS feeds, and emailing or downloading your search & results: https://proquest.libguides.com/asfa
BIOSIS coverage is from 1926 to present and includes around 6,000 journals, conference proceedings, books, & technical reports in all aspects of biological sciences. The BIOSIS Citation Index database is an excellent database for all biological information, including marine biology, biological oceanography, marine ecology, developmental biology, and molecular biology. The platform also includes a version called BIOSIS Previews which lacks some cited-reference search abilities.
1937 - present. Covers indexing of over 5000 journals in nursing and the allied health sciences, with full text for over 700 of those journals. Coverage includes nursing, biomedicine, health sciences librarianship, alternative & complementary medicine, consumer health and 17 allied health disciplines.
A database offering the most relevant and valuable materials in the area of food studies. It includes works about how food shapes and defines people's lives through the eyes of philosophers, historians, scientists, sociologists, artists, anthropologists, activists, physicists, psychologists, chefs, and many other important researchers.
An electronic index to the worldwide literature on post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health sequelae of exposure to traumatic events.
1597-present. From the American Psychological Association. Provides access to scholarly literature in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences. Includes journal articles, books, chapters, and dissertations. Includes approximately 2,500 journals. Updated weekly and includes an index of PsycArticles.
Covers over 5,700 journals in the biomedical and health sciences and years covered late 1940's - present, with additional older medical literature selectively added. Search using keywords or the controlled vocabulary called MeSH. PubMed will automatically match your keyword terms to MeSH terms. For additional tips, see the Library's PubMed page.
