Help for E-Resources/Article Databases

Ask a Librarian

What is it?

The E-Resource Gateway does three things:

  • Select a Database: Organizes library databases so you can find them.
  • QuickSearch or Custom Search: Search engines that search several databases simultaneously.
  • My Research: Provides a space for you to store articles/records, databases, and search sets. Note: You must Login for the full functionality of My Research.

Select a Database

Databases are organized by three search criteria:

  • Database Titles is an alphabetical list of all databases in the E-Resource Gateway. Use this search when you know the title of the database you want.
  • Subject Browse divides databases into subject areas. Use this search when you know what subject area you want, but do not know database titles. This search is also good for discovering newly added databases or databases that you weren't previously aware of.
  • More Options offers the ability to search for databases using multiple criteria, for example, combining a Subject (e.g., "Social Sciences") with a database Type (e.g., "Article Database").

QuickSearch/Custom Search

QuickSearch combines several databases into one simultaneous search, based on subject area. These databases are pre-selected for you. Custom Search allows you to customize a simultaneous search to your research needs. Note: Only databases with the Search using E-Resource Gateway interface Search icon can be used in a simultaneous search.


My Research

My Research provides a temporary place to store articles/records you find in your QuickSearch or Custom Search results, which can then be emailed or saved to a citation manager such as RefWorks. If you Login, you can keep articles/records in your My Research permanently, collect and save e-journals and databases that you use regularly, and also create your own personal QuickSearch sets.

Database Titles

Use this search function when you know the name of the database that you want:

  • Enter all or part of the database title in the search box, then click on the Search button.
    • (Optional) Use either * or ? to replace one or more characters at the end of a search term (e.g., psyc* or psyc? will give you a list of databases that contain "psyc" somewhere in the title).
    • (Optional) The selected title search option is Contains. You can choose Starts With (e.g., any database title must begin with "psyc") or Exact (e.g., "psycinfo" exactly) instead. Exact is a very narrow search and should be used sparingly.
    • (Optional) You can limit your search to only databases which are open to everyone by clicking the radio button for "Show only databases available to guests".
  • Use the alphabet list to browse databases by title by clicking on the appropriate letter (e.g., click on "P" to see the list of databases beginning with the letter P in order to locate PsycInfo). Note: Some database lists are longer than one screen. You will need to click on the "Next>" link to view the rest of the list.

Subject Browse

The Subject Browse organizes databases into various subject areas.

This is a two-step selection process. You must select a broad subject area first, then a more narrow sub-category:

  1. Select a broad subject are in the Subject Browse. Keep in mind that the list is longer than the browse window, so you may need to scroll down to find the subject area you need.
  2. Next, select a Sub-category, then click on the Search button.

Special Sub-categories

There are two special sub-categories in every subject area:
  • Introductory Resources are specifically chosen databases that provide basic entry-level articles/records in the subject area selected. These can be particularly useful for undergraduates that are not majors in the subject area.
  • ALL is a combined list of every database in the broad subject area.

Core (Primary Databases)

Some sub-categories have sets of databases that have been designated as primary databases in particular fields of scholarship. These are listed at the top of the database list, under the designation CORE. Additional databases in the sub-category are listed below under the designation MORE.

Reference Sources

Use the subject area Reference to locate (by sub-category) Almanacs/Yearbooks, Biographies, Book Reviews, Data/Statistics, Dictionaries, Directories, Dissertations, Encyclopedias, Grants/Funding, Libraries/Catalogs, Maps/Atlases, and Patents.

More Options

More Options features additional search options, and can be used to combine multiple search criteria:

Select one or more boxes as desired during a search. More Options can be useful for combining search criteria together, for example: Keyword "Middle East" combined with Type "Article Database". It can also be useful for finding particular types of databases, for example, select "Dissertations" from the Type drop-down menu to see a list of all databases that provide dissertations. After you select your search options, click the Search button.

  • Enter word(s) in Keyword to find any words within a resource title or description.
  • Use the Subject Browse drop-down menu to limit your search to databases in a particular subject area.
  • Use the Type drop-down menu to limit your search to a resource type. Each database has been assigned one particular type:
    • Almanacs/yearbooks
    • Article Database - Some databases with this type contain more than articles, such as government documents.
    • Dissertations
    • E-book and E-texts
    • Images and Sound
    • Library and Catalog - Campus and other libraries' web sites can be found here, as well as MadCat and WorldCat.
    • Patents and Standards
    • Reference Resources - Directories, Encyclopedias
    • Statistics and Data
    • Subject Gateway - Subject Guides - Note: Many more guides are available on the Research Guides page
  • Use Database Vendor when you know the name of a database provider (such as Proquest or EBSCOhost).

Using the Database Details Details icon

Clicking on the Database Details icon produces a pop-up window that provides information about a database. The information available may vary:

  • Alt. name indicates alternative titles for the database
  • Type indicates whether the database is an "article database", "subject gateway", etc.
  • Guide is a link to a help guide on the database. This is only available for some databases.
  • About gives a more detailed description of the database which can include topics/subjects and number of e-journals.
  • Coverage indicates the era or geographic location for the materials in this database.
  • Time-span tells you what years the database covers and how often the database is updated.
  • Gateway Search Notes give you hints about how to best quick-search (magnifying glass) the database. NOTE that these hints are only applicable when quick searching the database, not when using the direct URL to the interface.
  • Publisher indicates which vendor provides the database.
  • Publ. URL links to the website of the vendor.
  • Creator provides the database creator name or institution.
  • Full Text Note shows how many people can use the database or other miscellaneous information.
  • Note indicates which UW-Madison Libraries to contact for further assistance.
  • Categories lists the subject areas this database has been assigned.

Using the Add to My Research (Login) Add icon

Clicking on this icon saves the database to your My Research space when you are logged in (the Login link is at the upper right of the E-Resource Gateway screen, in the menu bar).

Adding databases to your My Research provides quick access anytime you are logged in. You can also organize simultaneous search databases (noted by the Search using E-Resource Gateway interface Search icon) into your own personal QuickSearch sets: see My Research for more information.

Using the Search using E-Resource Gateway interface Search icon

You can use the Search using E-Resource Gateway interfaceSearch icon to search a database for articles/records while still within the E-Resource Gateway window. This is a simple interface that can be used to search a database for articles/records but your search options are very limited as compared to searching when using the database's own website (To use the database's own website, click on the database title). Searching a database within the E-Resource Gateway is only available when the database has the Search using E-Resource Gateway interface Search icon.

Using the Results List

Once you have performed a search and received a Results List of articles/records, you have several options:

  • Click on the Find It button to view the Full Text Online options for a particular article/record
  • Click on the Add to My Research Basket icon to save that article/record to My Research Note: This is temporarily stored in My Research. To store permanently, you must Login at the upper right of the screen.
  • Click on the database title to go directly to the database website
  • Click on the article/record title to see the Full View of the article/record, where you can:
    • View information about the article/record, including Author(s), Year, Abstract, Subjects, etc.
    • Click the database title to go directly to the database website
    • Click on the Find It button to see what Full Text Online options are available
    • Click on the Save record Save icon to save the article/record to a citation manager such as RefWorks
    • Click on the Send to Send icon to email the article/record
    • Click on the Add to My Research Basket icon to save the article/record to My ResearchNote: This is stored temporarily, unless you Login.

You can navigate your search results by either clicking the Next> link or by entering a number into the Jump To box and clicking on the >> arrow.

Tips

What resource is best for your needs?

Use Subject Browse to identify the most appropriate resource for your subject area. Look for CORE databases in a sub-category. Then click on the Database Details Database Details icon to find out more about the database, including it's scope, subject areas covered, etc. For some databases, there is also a link in the Database Details Database Details window to a Guide for further assistance with the database.


Need help with how to use a database?

There are numerous tips on the Quick Guides webpage. Some databases have a Guide link in their Database Details Database Details window.


Can't find a particular database?

Use the More Options search. Use Keyword to locate databases. Combine that search with optional additional searches like database Type (article database, e-book, etc). Some resources do not reside in any sub-category and can only be found using More Options.

Other Assistance

Troubleshooting Access to E-Resources

Software such as Google Web Accelerator, which uses a proxy server, may need to be disabled so that your access to licensed resources is recognized by our vendors.

For more information about our proxy server, see the Off-campus Online Access page.