What are the differences between websites and library databases?
1. Generally, websites and library databases both can contain:
NOTE: Researchers should take the time to verify research results by checking several other reliable sources before using it or acting on it. (See more about how to determine what types of sources are credible at PPLD's LibGuide on Finding Good Information here.)
2. Library databases do not generally use natural language to search, but use specialized wording and symbols. One of the benefits of using library databases is that they give more precise results than websites or web searches, which may include duplicate or irrelevant results.
3. In addition, library databases contain content that is sometimes only available by paying for it. The library pays for access to that information on behalf of the community it serves.
4. Online web searches often do use natural language, but the results may not be exactly what a researcher is looking for.
5. The order of an online result list is also often based on the priorities of the companies who offer the search (usually at no out-of-pocket cost), rather than the priorities of the researcher.
For a more detailed discussion of researching best practices, see PPLD's LibGuide on Information and Media Literacy here.
Available as an eBook for checkout as an eBook for checkout through Freading
Thanks to digitization, newspapers from the seventeenth to the twenty-first century have become an indispensable and accessible source for researchers. Through their pages, historians with a passion for a person or a place or a time or a topic can rediscover forgotten details and gain new insights into the society and values of bygone ages. Historical Research Using British Newspapers provides plenty of practical advice for anyone intending to use old newspapers by:
* outlining the strengths of newspapers as source material
* revealing the drawbacks of newspapers as sources and giving ways to guard against them
* tracing the development of the British newspaper industry
* showing the type of information that can be found in newspapers and how it can be used
* identifying the best newspapers to start with when researching a particular topic
* suggesting methods to locate the most relevant articles available
* demonstrating techniques for collating, analyzing, and interpreting information
* showing how to place newspaper reports in their wider context
In addition nine case studies are included, showing how researchers have already made productive use of newspapers to gain insights that were not available from elsewhere.
PPLD Databases
For area-focused or subject-focused databases, see the blue tabs (at the top of the screen on mobile devices or at the left of the screen on computers).
Recommended Websites
For area-focused or subject-focused websites, see the blue tabs (at the top of the screen on mobile devices or at the left of the screen on computers).
