What is a Database?
- A database stores information on a particular subject
- Databases may contain journal articles, conference proceedings, images, book chapters and more
- Databases are an efficient way of searching thousands of journals on your subject at once
- Databases are particularly useful if you need specific and up-to-date information
How Do I Find Journal Articles?
Search Engines
Search Google Scholar via the library website to get more full text access to journal articles.
Key Databases
Start your research here!
- PsycINFO
The major database for Psychology produced by the American Psychological Association.Covers psychology: social, clinical, cognitive and neuropsychology; psychiatry, sociology, anthropology and education. - Medline A major and premier source for the medical sciences.
- ScienceDirect One of the largest online collections of published medical and scientific research
- Scopus Scopus is a large multidisciplinary database covering published material in the humanities and medical sciences.
- speechBITE speechBITE™ is a database that provides open access to a catalogue of Best Interventions and Treatment Efficacy across the scope of Speech Pathology practice. This is an evidence based practice initiative between The University of Sydney and Speech Path
- Web of Science One of the largest Science databases.Provides access to current and retrospective information from high impact research journals. Also provides citation analysis of authors, journals and subject are
- Google Scholar An academic version of the famous search engine. Also useful for links to references which cite other academic articles. Using this link via the Library website means you can get the full-text of articles in journals to which the Library subscribes
- More Databases...
Information Skills
Need help looking up Databases?
You might like to attend one of our face-to-face classes or if you don't have time we have some short video tutorials or interactive Tutorials
- Face to Face Classes
- Medline Advanced Search: Introduction
(2mins:12sec) 
Part 1 of the Medline via OvidSP screencast - Searching using MeSH (2min:27sec) Part 2 of the Medline via OvidSP screencast
- Explode, Focus and Subheadings (3mins:23sec) Part 3 of the Medline via OvidSP screencast
- Combining searches and limiting (4 mins:08sec) Part 4 of the Medline via OvidSP screencast
- Searching Medline via OvidSP Interactive Tutorial
- Searching for Evidence Based Medicine Interactive Tutorial
Basic Search Tips
Never searched a database before? Here are some tips to get you started:
- Identify key concepts. e.g. 'type 2 diabetes' and 'prevention'.
- Brainstorm synonyms for each key concept. e.g. 'diabetes mellitus', 'prevent'.
- Use truncation to broaden your search. e.g. 'prevent*' will find 'prevent', 'preventing', 'prevention', 'preventative', 'prevented' etc.
- Use double quotation marks to narrow your search. e.g. "type 2 diabetes" will search for these words as a phrase rather than seperately.
- Combine synonyms with OR and key concepts with AND. e.g. ("type 2 diabetes" or "diabetes mellitus") and prevent*.
Watch this clip to find out more...
Need to find a peer reviewed article?
A peer reviewed journal contains articles that have been reviewed by experts before publication. [See the peer review process in action...]
Check Ulrich's Periodicals Directory to see if a journal has been peer reviewed.
Click on the eResources tab to see a list of peer reviewed speech pathology journals.
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