General & Multi Subject Indexes

A definition

What the databases in the "General & Multi Subject Indexes" have in common is that they all cover a wide range of subject areas.

Screen capture of the 'General and Multi Subject' subcategory listed under the 'News/Facts Referenc' subject category.

The trick to selecting an appropriate database is — research.

GALILEO provides detailed information via the information icon . Read the information for a database before you dedicate a search to it. A little up front reading will help you eliminate the databases that don't have what you want.

The Strengths of General & Multi Subject Indexes

The strengths of databases found in the "General & Multi Subject Indexes" category are that they cover many topics and this is where you would find full-text articles from popular newspapers and magazines. But if you're looking for academic sources, this isn't always the best place to look.

Remember that only a few databases include full-text articles, and the articles may be from popular magazines or scholarly journals. When you get a list of results from a search, determine if the periodical is scholarly or popular. If you cannot decide, and your research requires scholarly sources, ask a librarian or your instructor.