4 Helpful Educational Databases

1. It is relevant – When searching for information in the database, you should be able to customize your search to get results relevant to you. There are several ways to search through a database, for example, using discipline-specific terminology, keywords, subject headings, etc. You can set constraints such as the source type and the date or search by author or title.

2. It is reliable – One of the main differences between the information you find on the internet and that in databases is that the information found in databases is often peer-reviewed. Furthermore, the information in the database should have key identifiers such as the publication details, author's name, and a summary that you can use to evaluate the information's credibility.

3. It is accessible – First of all, access to the library is either free or purchased by patrons so that you can access the information within it at no price. As an independent researcher, you may have to pay a small subscription fee. Secondly, the database should provide the full-text of the articles, meaning you will not need to go to the library or the source to do so.

Using these aspects as a determining criterion for what a database is, Google Scholar isn't a database. It is an academic search engine. It doesn't always have the articles' full texts, and you may have to go to their libraries and retrieve or pay for them. Also, the search engine scours the internet for information that seems academic, and some of this information isn't always peer-reviewed. Here are some useful educational databases.

ERIC stands for Educational Resources Information Center. It is a free database produced by the United States Department of Education. It provides researchers, educators, and the general public with educational research and information. This information is presented in a way that is searchable and easy to use to help the users to improve learning, teaching, and decision-making. You can find records from various publication types such as:

Besides the free database, there are some ERIC subscription options, such as ERIC via EBSCOhostERIC via ProQuest. You can also use ERIC Thesaurus to find descriptions of terms used in the different ERIC databases. 

If you are looking for information on aerospace, aeronautics, astronautics, and space science, this is the database for you. There is also extra information on physics, geoscience, chemistry, and electronics, among other disciplines. 

Initially, it comprised two different publications: Scientific and Technical Reports (STAR) and International Aerospace Abstracts (IAA). However, now, the two were incorporated into one database produced by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. It is subscription-based and includes periodicals, trade journals, books, magazines, etc. from various authors and institutions, including NASA.

JSTOR is short for Journal Storage. This database was founded in New York City in 1995 and has both free and paid subscription options. With JSTOR, you get access to over 12 million books, primary sources, and academic journal articles. By collaborating with the academic community, JSTOR helps libraries connect faculty and students to vital content. It also helps independent researchers with access to low-cost or free information. Using this and more databases, EssayService writers can provide you a paper with up-to-date and correct information to help you get higher scores. 

One of the greatest things about JSTOR besides its large collection is the array of disciplines covered by the content. They also have useful documents in many formats covering at least 70 disciplines from security studies to arts to business and economics. You can search for information in the library through several criteria, for example, by subject, title, or publisher. 

If you are interested in the growth and development of children and adults through to the age of 21, you will find this database to be a very useful resource. You will find various sources of information such as books, journals, dissertations, theses, technical reports, and more. What's more, you will find both new and old resources, and more than 10,000 records are added annually. Information in this database covers several supplementary subjects such as psychiatry, psychology, education, and health psychology. 

There is a lot of information on the internet today. Some people may go as far as saying that there is or will be an information overload soon. If you want to conduct research or write about specific educational topics, your safest bet is to use an educational database rather than an academic search engine or your normal browser. This way, you are assured that the information you are basing your work on is reliable.