Starting Your Research Using Computers to Search for Information Because you will need to use computers to search for books and articles on your topic, it's necessary to understand how computer databases work and to learn some basic terminology. A database is a collection of information organized for rapid retrieval and is often searchable by a computer. There are more than 150 Library Networked Databases that provide information about magazine and journal articles. Databases may differ in terms of the time period and subject matter covered. Others are full text and actually provide the entire article on the computer.
Some databases cover many topics, while others cover one topic or discipline in great detail.
PsycINFO is an example of a specialized database which lists articles published in psychology journals. If you also want to explore more specialized databases, ask a reference librarian to suggest one appropriate for your topic. You search databases by typing in a subject or keywords that apply to your topic. The computer retrieves a list of records that match what you type in. Each record is divided into sections called fields .