Empire State College: State University of New York Skip navigation Home | Prospective Students | MyESC | Search Tools | Request Info

MyESC Site Map

Check announcements and deadlines, contact someone for help and get to the pages and services you use the most.
Check your financial and academic records, activate your login, and update your contact information.
Register for your studies, find tutorials and other information about registration.
Access your online courses, choose your studies for upcoming terms, and plan your studies.
Visit the online library, get help with writing and math, find a tutor and more.
Financial aid and scholarships, billing, college bookstore, disabilities services and all other student services.
Library and Learning Resources

• Databases and Articles
• Books
• eBook Catalog
• Reference Tools
• Other Web Resources
• Online Library
• Faculty Toolkit
• Learning Resources
• Ask a Librarian
> Help Doing Research
• Locating a Nearby Library
• Alumni Library Services

Print this page

Multi-Database Search

Online Library Home > Help Doing Research > Research Tutorials > Multi-Database Search Tutorial

    The Multi-Database Search Tool can be used most effectively in the following ways:

    1. Locate specific databases that contain useful information on your topic.
      • Look for the "Show summary" link at the top of the search results to see a list of each database searched and how many results each one found.
      • Go directly to those databases using either the Subject Guides or All Research Databases links on the Library home page.
    2. When you're unsure what specific database to use or what subject or discipline it falls under (see #1 above).

    Multidatabase Search has drawbacks, as opposed to searching a single database, including:
    • Can't accurately limit or identify which results are available in full-text.
    • Can't limit results to scholarly/peer-reviewed journals.
    • Can't limit by publication type (journals, newspapers, etc.).

    If you want to use any of these limit options, you should identify specific databases that contain information on your topic and search those directly.

    If not, go to: Multi-Database Search

    For detailed help on the use of Multi-Database Search, go to:
    http://www.esc.edu/multitutorial Return to navigation links
Copyright © 1999 - 2008 Empire State College. Contact the webmaster