General or Specific?

Your first decision when starting your GALILEO search

You may begin a search several ways in GALILEO:

Enter your search term into the Quick Search box. You can choose a subject category or just click the search button to execute the search.
Select the "General & Multi Subject" subcategory under News/Facts Reference to get a list of general databases.
Select a subject category or a subcategory to get a list of subject specific databases. (This method focuses on articles in scholarly journals.)
Search a specific database by typing the name of the database in the Find a Database by Name box or selecting the database from the alphabetical database list. (To use this method, you should either be familiar with the database or your instructor or a librarian should have recommended the database.)
From your computer browser, link directly to a database or group of databases through links created using GALILEO Express Links. (This method is useful if you consistently use the same database or group of databases. As you move into your major area of study, you will recognize a core group of databases that cover your area.)

At various times, you will probably use all of the search methods listed above. But whenever you do research in GALILEO, the first choice you have to make is whether you need to search general indexes or subject specific indexes.

Think about what kind of source you need. A general rule of thumb – if you need a scholarly article, try to pick a specialized database. If you need a popular magazine article, pick a general index — that's where you'll find them. However, more and more, some general indexes, such as Academic Search Premier and Research Library, are including articles from scholarly journals.

Here are some general guidelines to help you decide.

General/Multi Subject Indexes	Subject Specific Categories
Cover many topics within a database Include full-text databases Include databases with popular magazines	Databases are focused on one subject area or a few subject areas Databases include mostly bibliographic citations, not full text Some databases index book chapters, unpublished papers, reports, and dissertations.

On the next two pages you'll find more detailed descriptions of general indexes and subject specific categories, their strengths and weaknesses.

WANT MORE on scholarly article vs. popular?
primary source vs. secondary source?
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