/ Differences between Library Databases
& the Internet Handout

What is the Internet?

TheInternetis a global system of interconnectedcomputer networksthat use the standard

Internet protocol suite(TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide. It is anetwork of networks

that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government networks, of

local to global scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking

technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range ofinformationresources and services,

such as the inter-linkedhypertextdocuments of the World Wide Web(WWW) and theinfrastructure

to supportemail. 1

Information on the Internet is not organized into searchable fields. However, there are search engines.

programs that act as indexes for the Internet. Search engines attempt to locate web pages with

desired information by searching for keywords in which a user specifies. The method for finding this

information is usually done by maintaining indices of Web resources that can be queried for the

keywords entered by the user. These lists are either built from specific resource lists or created by

Web programs, with insect names like bots, spiders, crawlers, and worms. More and more search

engines provide search directories. After locating web pages, the web pages are arranged by

subjects. Instead of searching with keywords an Internet user can go to a directory and click on the

subject they want to see.

What is a library database?

Databases are massive collections of data which allow for retrieval of the data. Library databases consist

primarily of indexes, abstracts, and full-text material. They are collections of eBooks and articles from

newspapers, magazines and journals and electronic reference sources. In many cases, the material

provided through these services had previously been available in print form. Vendors provide the

service of collecting the material and developing software that searches and delivers the information to

the subscriber. Databases include searchable key fields, including titles, introductory text, authors, and

subject terms. Access to these materials electronically greatly expands and enhances their usefulness.

There is a subscription fee paid to the vendor to provide their service. As a UACCH student, you have

free access to the databases to which the college subscribes. Databases are selected for the quality and

variety of resources they offer and are accessed using the Internet. Some databases contain the full-text of

articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers as well as books while other databases contain only

citations - or - citations & abstracts. A database can be multidisciplinary (cover a variety of topics) or focus

on a specific subject (e.g., business, health). Library databases can be accessed from off-campus by logging in

with UACCH Library’s login info are available 24/7.

Can’t I get the same articles found in a library database by using Google?

In most cases, no. Most of the information retrieved from the open web by using Internet search

engines, such as Google, is free. Library databases contain copyrighted, licensed, proprietary

information that is not free. UACCH Library pays yearly subscription fees for its databases just like it pays

yearly subscription fees for its print journals, magazines, and newspapers.

I don’t know how to use the library databases. What’s wrong with just Googling it?

There's nothing wrong with using Google or another search engine to find information on the web. Just

keep in mind that most of the information retrieved from the open web hasn't been evaluated. It could

be inaccurate, biased, or it might not be current. Also, the authors of web sites might not have the same

credentials as the authors of articles found in the library databases. You will need to more carefully

evaluate information retrieved on the open web. All of the articles found in the library databases have

already been evaluated for accuracy and credibility by discipline-specific experts and publishers.

How do I access and use the library databases?

The library databases can be accessed from the library’s home page by selecting Databases A to Z or Databases by Subject under the Databases tab. . If you are accessing the databases from off-campus, you will be prompted to login with UACCH Library’s username and password.

My instructor told our class we can’t use any (or only a few) Internet sources. Can I still use

the library databases?

Yes. Library databases use the Internet as a delivery system but they are not considered the Internet.

In most cases, your instructor means that they don’t want you using web sites or web pages found on

the open web through Internet search engines such as Google. Most of the published resources found

in the library databases are not available on the open web. Always clarify with your instructors what

they actually mean when the class is told no (or few) Internet sources.

The Internet

The Internet is a worldwide network of computers. The World Wide Web (also called WWW, "the Net" or "the Web") is an information system that links Internet documents and allows users to navigate through the Web, moving quickly and seamlessly from one source to another via Web links. Documents available on the Web can include text, sound, video, and images.

Oneprevailing misconception is that everything is available on theInternet! As a matter of fact, only a small fraction of the world of information is available on the Internet. Think of the Web as an iceberg. Anyone can see and access roughly one-third of the information available on theopen Webfor free, using popular search engines like Yahoo! or Google. Wikipedia articles, for example, are open Web resources that are available online to anyone who searches for them. In the illustration below, the area above the line represents the open Web, where anyone has easy access to free information.

The other two-thirds of the information available on the Web is hidden from view and is known as the "deep Web." Thedeep Web is where information is not free and is not included in popular search engine results.Library databases, for example, are deep Web subscription resources that are available online, but only to authorized users such as students enrolledat UACCH.Books, journals, magazines, and other publications that are commercially available are usually not available for open access on the Internet. Thus, some of the most reliable information in existence must still be obtained from licensed library databasesor traditional print sources.In the illustration below, the area underneath the line represents the deep Web, where it costs money to gain access to higher-quality, reliable information.

TheInternet is a great source for finding current news stories, government documents, statistics, working papers, conference proceedings, reports, etc. However, since there is no quality control on the Internet, you need tomake sure you check the reliability of sources you find through search engines such asGoogleandYahoo.Review theEvaluate Sourcessection ofthis guide for criteria guidelines for evaluating resources.

Differences Between

Library Databases / Search Engines

Types of Information Retrieved

·  Scholarly journal articles
·  Popular magazine articles
·  Newspaper articles
·  Reference book articles (e.g., directories,
·  encyclopedias)
·  Books
·  No sponsors or ad / ·  Few scholarly journal articles, popular
magazine articles, and books are free.
·  Popular web sites (e.g., Wikipedia, Facebook)
·  Commercial web sites (e.g., eBay, Amazon)
·  Government, educational, and organizational web sites (e.g., Library of Congress, UACCH)
·  Current news & information (e.g., CNN)
·  Email, chat (Gmail, AIM)
·  Many sponsors and ads

When to Use

·  Best for college level research.
·  When you need to find credible information quickly. / ·  Best for personal information needs
including shopping and entertainment.
·  When you have time to more carefully
evaluate information found on the open
web.

Creditability / Review Process

·  Articles and books written by journalists or
experts in a professional field.
·  All material in database is evaluated for
accuracy and credibility by subject experts
and publishers.
·  Reviewed and updated regularly. / ·  Lack of control allows anybody to publish
their opinions and ideas on the Internet.
·  Not evaluated (for the most part). Need to more carefully evaluate web sites for bias, accuracy, and completeness.
·  Many sites are not updated regularly and can become outdated.

Cost / Accessibility

·  Library database subscriptions are paid for
through your tuition and state taxes.
·  To access the UACCH Library databases from off-campus, you will need to logon with UACCH Library’s username and password. / ·  Most information found through a search
engine is free.
·  Library databases cannot be accessed
through search engines or the open web.
·  Many web sites found through Internet
search engines contain licensed, proprietary
information and require you to logon with a user account. You must already be a
member or pay for a subscription in order to access the material from these web sites

Usability

·  The organization and various search
capabilities of library databases allow users
to search for and retrieve focused and
relevant results. / ·  Less ability to search for and retrieve precise results using search engines like Google. Must wade through a “grab bag” of results.

Last updated 3/2012

Library Databases (cont’d) / & / Search Engines(cont’d)

Constancy/ Permanence/ Stability

·  Published content from journals, magazines, newspapers and books does not change.
·  Most material remains in database for a
significant length of time and can be easily
retrieved again.
·  / ·  Web site content can often change.
·  Web pages and sites may disappear for a
number of reasons. May not be able to
retrieve the same content at a later time.

Citing

·  Many databases include a citation tool that
will automatically generate an APA or MLA
style reference for the article you select.
You may still need to “tweak” this citation
but these tools serve as a good starting
point for citing your articles in a particular
format. / ·  Most web sites found on the open web do
not provide a citation tool or an already
formatted APA or MLA style reference for
the web pages on their site. You will need to start your citation from scratch using APA or MLA style manuals or handouts from your
instructor or the library.

Last updated 3/2012