LibGuides: BIOL 4681: Biology Seminar: Search Databases

Selecting a Database to Search

A database contains a collection of articles from various journals and makes them searchable all in one place. No single database has all journals, so it is best to search in multiple databases. Below are databases that contain articles from science journals.

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Contains SOME information on many topics and disciplines. Contains both academic articles and magazine articles, so be sure to use the "Peer-Review" only filter while searching.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
Best for topics involving the human body.
Agricola This link opens in a new window
Best for topics that involve only plants. Not good for topics about nutrition or health.
Science & Technology Collection This link opens in a new window
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Scopus This link opens in a new window

Search Tips

Keep your first search very simple. Start with only 1-3 search words.

After your first search, start using filters or adding search words one at a time to slowly narrow your results down to what you want.

Many times, you won't get what you want on your first search. Searching is about trial and error, so you may have to attempt several searches using different combinations of search words in order to find what you need.

If you have tried multiple searches in multiple databases and still cannot find what you need, contact Suzi (srumohr@twu.edu) for searching suggestions or for an appointment.

Searching in PubMed

Always access PubMed through the library website, so it will know you are a TWU student. This gives you access to more articles.

PubMed This link opens in a new window

View the three short videos below to learn how to search PubMed more effectively.