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Databases
What are Databases, Abstracts and Indexes?Various organisations produce indexes of publications in science, allowing access by subject and author. All such indexes cover journal articles and most cover conference proceedings. Coverage of theses, reports and patents is less common. Printed abstracting and indexing publications have been in existence for many years (e.g. Zoological Abstracts since 1864). The difference between abstracting and indexing publications is that the former include summaries (abstracts) of the items. In recent years, databases corresponding to these printed abstracting and indexing publications have become available. There are two main formats:
Databases often offer more sophisticated search features than their printed equivalents. Databases, abstracts and indexes provide a way of locating the primary literature. They do not usually provide access to the full text of the documents. The Library may or may not hold the full text. Items not held can usually be obtained from another library.
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Printed and electronic sources in science can often help you find more specific or detailed information on a topic than that which you can find in books. These sources cover what is known as primary literature, and items listed are not necessarily held in the Research Library.
