Databases are tools designed to help you search the scholarly (and other) articles and resources available to you through the Holy Cross Libraries and beyond. Some of the databases available to us link directly to the resource it highlights, while other's may only provide you the information on how to locate an article elsewhere. This is when you will have to request the article from Interlibrary loan. Because of this, we recommend you start your database research early on in your project - to allow time for resources to make their way to you. For help with Interlibrary loan, please see the video tutorial on the homepage of this guide.
Types of Databases
There are two main kinds of research databases that you might encounter:
- General databases, like Academic Search Premier and JSTOR, which have a little bit of everything; articles in different subject fields, primary sources like scientific research studies or historical sources, news articles, videos etc.
- Databases for specific subjects or types of sources (ex - newspapers, historical sources, videos, etc.)
In addition, you will probably use CrossSearch, the search box on the homepage of the Libraries' website. CrossSearch is a discovery tool which searches many (though not all) databases at once. CrossSearch is like a library version of Google -- it is a great place to get your search started and find many sources at once. If you feel like Cross Search is overwhelming, try one of the suggested databases for CRES and see what results you get.
When you search a web tool like Google, you are searching every word of every page of every document, from beginning to end. There are no rules about what goes into Google, so you get a mix of everything. And, Google can't always tell the difference between a page or article that is all about your topic, and a page or article that mentions your topic only once or twice.
When you search in the library research tools, like the catalog or (most) research databases, you are actually just searching short "profiles" of the book, article, or other source that you are looking at, rather than the whole source. Because the profiles are very short, searching for entire sentences or phrases does not usually work well in library resources.
But, if a source comes up because its profile mentions your topic, it's much more likely that the source will actually be on your topic. And while the research tools have many different types of sources in them, they're all published sources, so they've been checked for quality on at least a very basic level.
When you're using databases, you want to use keywords to search for materials related to your topic. Lets say your project is about the book Sula by Toni Morrison. Here are examples of key words I might use to find results:
Sula, Toni Morrison, black women, feminism, literature, black feminism, character analysis
You can search for these terms individually or try combining them for more refined results. Try using search terms like AND, OR or NOT.
If I use the terms "Sula" and "black Feminism" and "feminism" I will get results that contain all of those search terms together.
Sula and ("black feminism" OR feminism) will bring up results that include clybourne park as well as either review or critcism or both words together.
Use NOT when you want to exclude a word or phrase.
Here are some general tips to guide you in choosing your search terms:
Bonus Tip:
When you find a good article, look at its References or Works Cited list. That will often lead you to other useful sources. You can also look at information such as the name of the journal or the author for ideas of other ways to search.
Below is a list of Primary and secondary source databases that cover topics associated with CRES studies. Please read their descriptions carefully to see if these databases apply to your information need. Legal databases are at the bottom, and databases about similar topics are grouped together.
Date(s): 1756-1963
Historic newspapers from all different U.S. states, hosted by the Library of Congress.
Date(s): Early 1800s - early 2000s
Primary sources by and about Black Americans.
Date(s): 1800-1922
African newspapers in both English and other languages.
Date(s): ~1900-2010
Primary sources from colonial rule and decolonization movements in Southern Africa.
Date(s): ~1900-2010
Primary sources from colonial rule and decolonization movements in Southern Africa.
Date(s): 1976-present
News articles about the Black American experience.
Date(s): 1909-1975
Articles from the Chicago Defender, a leading national Black newspaper.
Date(s): 1490-2008
Primary sources created by and about enslaved individuals and abolition movements.
Date(s): 1600-2000
Primary sources created by and about enslaved individuals and the practice of slavery around the world.
Date(s): 18th-20th century
Federal and state statues and court cases, as well as legal commentary, pamphlets, and historic books pertaining to the institution of slavery in the United States and its legal impacts.
Date(s): 2018-present
News articles about the Asian American experience.
Date(s): 1700s-early 1900s
English-language primary sources about relationships between China, the Pacific region and the United States.
Date(s): 1750-1929
English-language primary sources about Chinese history, religion, culture, and everyday life.
Date(s): 1793-1980
English-language primary sources about the relationship between China and the West.
Date(s): 1600s-1800s
English-language primary sources about the relationship between Britain and the British Empire in India, including the East India Company.
Date(s): 1800s-1900s
Spanish-language and bilingual (Spanish-English) U.S. newspapers.
Date(s): 2010-present
News articles about the Hispanic American experience.
Date(s): 1500-1998
Primary sources created by indigenous Americans and the Europeans who interacted with them, searchable by date, genre, area and indigenous nation.
Government documents, reports, court cases, tribal codes, and other primary and scholarly sources relating to indigenous law and the relationship between indigenous Americans and the U.S. government.
Citations for journal articles, magazines, books and newspapers relating to the LGBTQIA+ community, including historical sources.
Government documents, reports, historical documents, and other publications relating to the LGBTQ+ community in the United States, their struggle for civil rights, and inequalities in multiple areas of society. A key feature of the database is its interactive timeline of LGBTQ Rights in America.
Date(s): 1700s-present, but mainly pre-2000
Primary sources pertaining to transgender history, and information on other transgender archives around the world. **For the purposes of the DTA, 'transgender' refers to “a broad and inclusive range of non-normative gender practices” rather than an identity category.
Primary sources from British Archives relating to the study and experience of gender.
Date(s):1889-1965
Primary sources containing personal experiences of Nazi Germany, the Holocaust and other related topics.
Journal articles and primary sources reflecting U.S. responses to and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as previous pandemics.
Date(s):1818-1970s
Primary sources produced by American women traveling throughout the United States and around the world during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Date(s): 1880-2015
American and British magazines about film, music, broadcasting, and theatre, including fan magazines. Includes full issues from publications such as Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, The Stage, Variety, and many more.
Government documents, reports, court cases, and other primary sources relating to the history of civil rights in the U.S., accompanied by journal articles and books.
A library of legal resources including law journals; government, legal and diplomatic documents; books; reports; and historical sources.
Government documents, reports, books, journal articles, and more pertaining to the history of labor and working conditions in the United States, through the present day.
Legal documents at the federal and state level, including court cases, laws, and legal encyclopedias.