The Web (i.e. “Google”) vs. Library Databases:
How is the World Wide Web different from a Library’s databases? Sometimes you may need to use the Web for current news, online shopping, career opportunities, chat rooms and discussion groups, etc. When doing research USNA’s Nimitz Library offers you a wide array of databases, some of which have selected full-text articles. Scholarly journal articles in these databases have typically gone through some type of quality control process, often known as “peer review”, and hence are considered more authoritative resources. Alternatively, materials freely available on the Web are not necessarily reviewed or verified in any way, or if they are it may be difficult to ascertain the author’s credentials. The following table details some major differences between the World Wide Web (WWW) and most commercial, subscription-based databases. Some examples of commercial databases we use at USNA are; Academic Search Premier, Lexis-Nexis, ProQuest, WilsonWeb, MLA International Bibliography, etc.
| WWW | Library Databases | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advantages | Disadvantages | Advantages | Disadvantages | |
| currency, specialized, time-sensitive information | content can be outdated, no standardization regarding date | some databases regularly updated daily, weekly or monthly – exact dates of coverage are provided | some are updated periodically; some lag time between publication of the article and entry into the database | |
| ability to search across lots of information sources very quickly | often inaccurate, misleading information, credibility can't be assumed, therefore no or very little quality control | reliable, filtered information.Much of the information in full-text sources exist as print copies as well | limited in scope, some databases only cover a very specific discipline or publication type | |
| browsability as in subject directories, flexibility and ease of search | chaotic, unorganized, volatile, lack of indexing and controlled vocabulary | Sophisticated indexing and field searching. authoritative records are provided | Limited browsability, must use exact subjects or terms that match database | |
| ability to search unique terms / keywords | search features may not be very obvious or very powerful / advanced. some search engines do not support all search operators | advanced search features, Boolean and proximity operators | interfaces can be complicated for new users. learning curve can be steep when first starting to search | |
An Informational Comparison
Where do you think you might most easily find…
- Today’s Headlines from the Boston Globe
- Front page headlines from Dec 8, 1941
- Current NBA team standings
- A detailed history of the NBA since 1950
- Current USNA weather forecasts
- Scientific research on wind shear
- Picture of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle
- Exact specifications for the Bradley
- Current leaders of Arabian Gulf countries
- Research and analysis on democracy and foreign relations in Arabian Gulf countries
- A list of Ernest Hemingway’s writings
- Literary criticism discussing the author’s depiction of the Brett Ashley character in Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”
- Text of an Emily Dickinson poem
- Commentary and analysis of the theme of death in Emily Dickinson’s Poetry
- Biographical info on a famous author
- A book length biography of J.D. Salinger, author of "The Catcher in the Rye"published in 1951
Some Library Resources
Ask for them by Name:
- Gale’s Literary Criticism Series (about 6 or 7 different multi-volume sets) --
- encyclopedia like reference entries on authors and exerts of criticism
- MLA (Modern Language Association) International Bibliography --
- Indexing of articles, books, chapters, dissertations - serious literary criticism only
- Literature Online --
- similar to MLA IB, serious criticism, bios, texts and reference entries
- Academic Search Premier --
- for magazine content as well as some research articles – not bad for book reviews
- Lexis-Nexis Academic --
- for News type info / Newspaper articles