CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes loaded on a university server, or software running on your own desktop computer, are all examples of databases. The information in this module lays the ground work for you to understand specific searching capabilities of systems like Griffin, Periodical Abstracts, ABI Inform, and FirstSearch. Before we explore those databases in detail, you need to understand what databases are, how they are structured, and why both controlled vocabulary and natural language searching are important. We will then be able to examine search strategies and specific search tactics.
Databases are a part of everyday life for many people.
Later that day, you stop at your travel agent's office to make an airline reservation for a trip. The travel agent scans through the flights available on your preferred airline for the dates you're traveling, finds flights that match your request, and books a reservation for you. Your name, she tells you, is now in the airline's reservation system. That same evening, you decide to work at home on your personal finances in preparation for the next tax year. You turn on your personal computer and launch a software application containing details about your finances, including your investments and stocks.