What is a database?
A database is a collection of logically related records that can be read by a computer. Computerized address books and online library catalogs are examples of commonly used databases.

What is a record?
Databases are made up of lots of records. For example, in a computerized address book, all the data relating to Sally Apple would make up one record.

What is a field?
Specific information in each record is placed in different fields. In an address book the fields might be: name, address, and phone number. The distinguishing feature of databases is that each field may be searched and sorted.

What are types of research-oriented databases?

• bibliographic: containing citations or references to articles or books which you must then locate in another place. These databases are often called indexes or online indexes. In the case of library library catalogs, they are often called OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogs).
• full-text: containing the entire article from a newspaper, magazine, book, or encyclopedia. In the past, articles were only available in plain text. However, new technologies are making it possible to include the graphics and images. When a database is full-text, usually all words in the article are searchable.
• numeric: containing numbers, statistics, or dates
• visual: containing images, photos, etc.

Isn't the Web the biggest and best database?
The Web isn't actually a database because it isn't really organized and consistent.

There The first databases which began to appear widely in libraries in the 1980s were automated library catalogs. A record for each book was entered in a database which contained fields for Title, Author, Publisher, Subject, etc. With the development of CD-ROMs and the Internet in the late 1980s and 1990s, many databases of periodical indexes (previously available only in print versions) became available. That's why you will see that databases don't always cover periods before the mid-1980s. Information before that time needs scanning in order to become digital.

Why do I need databases if everything I need can be found Web?
There is a tremendous amount of information that is NOT available on the web. Even if information is delivered via the Web, it may not be free. This is what is known as the "invisible" or "deep" web.

As a college student, you need to know that there are thousands of databases available through libraries. Many databases are extremely expensive and require subscriptions that can cost upwards of $30,000 per year. You will find these in libraries.


Which databases are available at the Otis Library?
Otis Library subscribes to (and pays for) many different databases which are geared specifically towards college students. To see the list, click on Databases in the navigation bar.