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Biological Sciences

Your guide to finding the most relevant academic literature

Know what you're searching

The key to choosing the right databases is knowing what's behind the search box.  Just as you wouldn't search for a movie trailer at taste.com.au or for tomorrow's weather forecast using YouTube, you won't have much success if you search for engineering information in a business database, or for journal articles using the book catalogue.

Things to consider:

  • What subject area/s does the database cover?
    Some databases cover a single subject area, other cover a range of subjects (multi-discipline databases).  Make sure you chose databases with good coverage of your topic.
     
  • What types of material are included?
    Most databases (except the Library catalogue) will include scholarly journal articles, but some will also contain other types of documents, like books and book chapters, newspaper or magazine articles, conference papers and theses.
     
  • What date range is covered?
    Most databases cover articles published in the last twenty or thirty years, up to the present day.  Others aim for historical coverage but may not include the most recent 5 years or so.

  • Does the database include full text?
    Some databases are collections of full text articles, while others are indexes that only show you a citation and abstract for each article.  Don't just choose the full text databases though, because the index-only databases are often the most subject focused.  Also, you may find that the Check full text @ UTAS links will link you to the online article anyway.

MegaSearch is the all-in-one search tool that searches across UTAS Library collections for books, DVDs, journal articles, conference papers, theses, and other items.

For more targeted results, use the Refine results panel on the left of the MegaSearch results screen

MegaSearch is main search box on the Library homepage.

Subject databases cover the scholarly literature in one just subject or related group of subjects.

Use them when you need to target your search to a specific subject. 

To find databases by subject

  • choose from the suggested databases on the Library Subject Guides

To find a database by name

Multi-disciplinary databases cover a range of different academic subjects.  

Some databases claim to cover all major subject areas, while others might cover a related group of subjects (i.e. science, or the humanities).

These are useful for general or cross-disciplinary research topics, and for exploring a topic at the beginning of your research process.

Pros: breadth of coverage, can be good place to start when you're not sure what database to choose
Cons: lack of depth, limited range of search modification options

The Library catalogue does not index journal articles, but it is the best (and fastest) way to find

  • Books
  • CDs and DVDs
  • Music scores
  • Theses

You will find the Library catalogue next to MegaSearch on the Library homepage.