Subject Guides: First-Year Writing: Databases

Guide Contents

What are Databases?

You've probably heard of databases, but what are they and where does all that content come from? Find out by watching this brief video from NCSU Libraries:

While the video focuses on scholarly article databases, there are actually many other types of databases. Through the Binghamton University Libraries, you have access to hundreds of databases which contain a variety of content including news, data/statistics, primary sources, maps, images, ebooks, streaming video, and more.

Accessing Databases

There are several ways to access databases from the Libraries' website. These are the recommended ways:

Most Subject Guides include recommended databases. There's a guide for every subject that you can take courses in at Binghamton.
The Databases A-Z List provides the full list of all the databases you have access to through the Libraries. The list can be filtered by database subject and type.

When accessing databases, be sure to go through the Libraries' website to ensure that you'll have access to all of our content. If you try to access databases directly, you'll likely run into paywalls.

Selecting a Database

Selecting a database can seem overwhelming, especially when there are hundreds to choose from. Here are some tips:

Make sure you read the database description before you start searching. The description will tell you about the type of content, dates covered, full-text availability, language, and more.
When selecting a database from the A-Z List, use the dropdown menus to narrow the options by subject and/or type
Consider who is producing information about your topic. How would those people share that information? Depending on who they are, the answer may be scholarly journals, books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and/or social media. This will affect which type of database is most useful for you.

Recommended Databases

The best database for your research will depend on your topic. The following is a list of suggested databases that are applicable to topics across many subject areas.

Background Research

CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
A weekly publication providing original in-depth analysis of the most current major and controversial issues of the day. Coverage: 1991 - present.
CQ Researcher is useful for research on major controversial topics of national and international scope. Each issue that is examined includes a 125-word summary, introduction to the issue, history of the issue, recent events surrounding the issue, where the issue is headed, issue timeline, statements from representatives of opposing positions, works cited, readings for further research, organizations concerned, and notes on sources. Users may browse through articles in the current issue or search for past articles using words, dates or other criteria.
Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Includes viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

General

Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Covers over 11,000 journals in all fields of study.
Peer-reviewed, full-text journals, magazines, periodicals, reports, books and videos meets the needs of scholars in every discipline ranging from astronomy, anthropology, biomedicine, engineering, health, mathematics, pharmacology, women’s studies, zoology and more.
Academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
Covers all subjects, searching 13,000 journals, with over 7300 peer-reviewed titles.

News Sources

Global Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Includes national papers such as the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal. Also local and regional papers including the Press and Sun from Binghamton, the Ithaca Journal, and other Gannett publications. Coverage: 1980 - current
Replaces Newstand and Gannett Newstream.
News (OneFile) This link opens in a new window
Full-text newspaper database covering over 1000 newspapers, including national sources.
Includes the National Newspaper Index which provides access to the five top U.S. newspapers: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times.