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Check to see if you can log on to our databases off campus.

 

Best Databases by Content Type
Looking for a specific type of information, but don't know where to start? Use the pull down menu to find the best databases for biographies, media, quotations, timelines, and much more. When using media, please keep in mind Copyright and Fair Use issues.

Best Databases for:

Biographies

  • Chadwyck-Healey: Literature Online: Biographies (on writers)
    Get biographies on thousands of writers.
  • CREDO Reference
    Award winning full text reference resource. CREDO Reference covers a wide range of topics and includes images and illustrations. Go to advanced search and under Limit your search to..., click on Entries with following features..., and click in the box for biography.
  • EBSCO: MasterFILE Premier
    MasterFILE has thousands of biographies. Access them by searching on the person's name about whom you'd like biographical information. On your result list, go to the Narrow results by column (on the left) and select Biographies. If it's not listed, there are none for your topic.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica: Encyclopædia Britannica Online: Biography Browse
    Browse alphabetically for the person about whom you'd like biographical information, or try using the first three letters of a last name in the search box to get you there more quickly.
  • Facts.com: Today's Science or World News Digest
    Browse biographies on scientists or news makers.
  • Oxford Reference Online
    Perform a search for you about whom you'd like biographical information. You can select longer or shorter information by the tabs at the top of your result list.
  • ProQuest: Learning: Literature: Biographies (on writers)
    Browse alphabetically by writer.

Want more? Try Biography websites.

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Chronologies & Timelines

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Countries

Want more? Try Atlases, Maps & Travel websites.

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EZ Citations

  • Encyclopædia Britannica: Encyclopædia Britannica Online
    More than just the online version of the print publication, the award winning Encyclopædia Britannica Online provides access to the full text of Encyclopædia Britannica, the world's premier encyclopedia, as well as Britannica Book of the Year, Britannica Student Encyclopedia, Britannica World Atlas, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Thesaurus, an Internet directory to Web sites selected, rated, and reviewed by Britannica editors, Spotlights and thousands of illustrations, including photographs, drawings, maps, and flags. Editorial Criteria for Selecting Web sites | Guided Tour (PDF).
  • Facts on File: All Facts on File
    Access all the Facts on File databases. The editors of Facts On File research and summarize key news information every week from more than 100 major newspapers, news magazines, other periodicals, and government and on-line sources from the U.S. and around the world into a permanent, researchable record. Special interest: The World Almanac®, World Almanac Encyclopedia.
  • EBSCO: All EBSCO
    Access all the EBSCO databases from a list. Search all the EBSCO databases simultaneously or just select the ones you want. EBSCO Help .

Want more? Not all the databases listed above have the citations exactly right, so don't forget to consult COM Library's How to Cite APA Style and How to Cite MLA Style for the change it tips on each of these databases. For citation help with books, try Citation Builders.

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Government Documents

  • EBSCO Academic Search Complete
    Access by searching on your topic. On your result list, go to the Narrow results by column (on the left) and select Government Documents. If it's not listed, there are none for your topic.
  • EBSCO: TOPICsearch
    Access by searching on your topic. On your result list, go to the Narrow results by column (on the left) and select Government Documents. If it's not listed, there are none for your topic.
  • FedWorld.gov: FedWorld Databases
    FedWorld was established by The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to serve as the online locator service for a comprehensive inventory of information disseminated by the Federal Government. From this portion of the FedWorld site, you can search 20 government databases.
  • GPO Access
    Covers all types of U.S. government documents, including congressional reports, hearings, debates, judiciary materials and much more. Consists of records published by the Government Printing Office. Also included are documents issued by executive departments (Defense, State, Labor, Office of the President, etc.).
  • LOC: Thomas
    The Library of Congress' excellent site for finding US legislative information. The searchable databases include: Congressional Record, Floor Activities - House and Senate, Major Legislation, Enacted into law, Bill Summary & Status, Bill Text, Public Laws By Law Number and much more. 
  • Supreme Court Databases
    There are a number of databases that archive Supreme Court decisions, cases, background, analysis and opinions; most of them are not comprehensive. Some good databases to try: FedWorld: Historic File of Supreme Court Decisions (1937-1975), Legal Information Institute: Selected Historic Decisions of the Supreme Court (dates vary), Legal Information Institute: Supreme Court Decisions (1990-current), OYEZ Project (dates vary: aims to to include all leading constitutional law cases into their database and includes multimedia), USSC+ OnLine: The 1000 Cases Most Cited by the Court.

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Historical & Primary Documents

Want more? Try the Primary Sources section of any of the History websites.

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Media: Images (Charts, Editorial Cartoons, Maps, Illustrations, Photos)

  • CREDO Reference
    Award winning full text reference resource. CREDO Reference covers a wide range of topics and includes images and illustrations. Go to advanced search and under Limit your search to..., click on Entries with following features..., and click in the box for your desired media, images or maps.
  • CQ Researcher
    Every topic covered has images; usually charts, graphs, and photos.
  • EBSCO Academic Search Complete
    Access by searching on your topic. On your result list, go to the Narrow results by column (on the left) and select Government Documents. If it's not listed, there are none for your topic.
  • EBSCO: Consumer Health Complete
    Click on Images & Diagrams to search high quality medical images of the anatomy & physiology of the human body, its systems and of diagnostics and surgical procedures.
  • EBSCO: MasterFILE Premier
    MasterFILE has thousands of images. Access them by searching on your topic. On your result list, go to the Narrow results by column (on the left) and select images. If it's not listed, there are none for your topic.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica: Encyclopædia Britannica Online
    Search on your topic. In the Choose a content source column (top, left), select Media to see all media available. The column gives you a count of each content source, so if you see 0, you are out of luck.
  • Facts.com: Issues & Controversies: Editorial Cartoons & Questions, Photos, Charts & News Maps
    Browse for media on your topic.
  • Fatcs.com: Today's Science: Crossword Puzzles, Diagrams, Editorial Cartoons, Image Gallery
    Browse for media on your topic.
  • Facts.com: World News Digest: Editorial Cartoons & Questions, Photos, Charts & News Maps
    Browse for media on your topic.
  • Gale Health Reference Center Academic
    Search for your topic. From your result list, click on the multimedia tab. You can now further narrow by file type, such as audio, video or podcast, if any exist for your topic or continue searching for images using Google image search.
  • Oxford Reference Online: Maps & Illustrations
    Browse or search from Oxford's extensive collection of maps, illustrations, and photos.
  • ProQuest: eLibrary
    Search on your topic and check the Pictures or Maps box.
  • ProQuest Learning: History Study Center: Multimedia (related to history)
    Search on your topic and check only the images box to get good quality links on your topic.
  • ProQuest Learning: Literature: Multimedia (related to literature)
    Search on your topic and check only the images box to get good quality links on your topic.

Want more? Try Flickr, Flickr Commons, Google Image search or Wikimedia Commons.

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Media: Audio & Video

  • CREDO Reference
    Award winning full text reference resource. CREDO Reference covers a wide range of topics and includes images and illustrations. Go to advanced search and under Limit your search to..., click on Entries with following features..., and click in the box for audio.
  • EBSCO: Consumer Health Complete
    Click on Videos & Animations to search high quality medical animations help to understand diagnostics and surgical procedures, diseases, conditions & procedures. Physician-generated with the participation of major medical institutions.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica: Video Clips and Extended Play Videos
    Browse by topic to find your video.
  • Gale Health Reference Center Academic
    Search for your topic. From your result list, click on the multimedia tab. You can now further narrow by file type, such as audio, video or podcast, if any exist for your topic.
  • ProQuest: eLibrary
    Search on your topic and check the Audio/Videos box.
  • ProQuest Learning: History Study Center: Multimedia (related to history)
    Search on your topic and check only the video box to get good quality links on your topic.
  • ProQuest: Learning: Literature: Audio, Multimedia or Poets on Screen (multimedia related to literature)
    Audio is a collection gives you access to literary extracts and poems read by actors. Multimedia includes images, video, audio and weblinks. The Poets on Screen collection showcases contemporary poets reading selections of their own work and their favorite classic poems.

Want more? Try Google Video search, Wikimedia Commons or YouTube.

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Persuasive: Pro/Con & Opinion Polls

  • CQ Researcher
    The Pro/Con section of each article
  • EBSCO: Persuasive
  • Search EBSCO's Academic Search Compete, MasterFILE Premier and TOPICsearch simultanesuly to get the most likley articles to help with persasive papers. If you want opnion polls, try seaching TOPICsearch only. On your result list, go to the Narrow results by column (on the left) and select Opinion. If it's not listed, there are none for your topic.
  • Facts on File: Issues & Controversies
    Search for your topic, use the subject index, or find the most controversial topics under Issues Pro & Con.

Want more? Try Public Policy or How to Research Hot Topics.

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Quotations

Want more? Try Quotations Websites.

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Statistics & Charts

Want more? Try Statistics websites.

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Topics

  • CQ Researcher
    All articles in CQ Researcher fit in a topic category. You can perform a quick search or browse by Topic or Issue Tracker.
  • EBSCO: TOPICsearch
  • Facts on File: Issues & Controversies
    All articles in Issues & Controversies fit in a topic category. You can perform a quick search or browse through the subject index or Issues Pro and Con list.
  • ProQuest: eLibrary
  • Click on the Topic tab to search for your topic or browse through the many topics listed on the page.

Want more? Try Public Policy & Participation websites.

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Transcripts of Shows (Radio & TV)

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Web Sites

  • Chadwyck-Healey: Literature Online Web site Collection (related to literature)
  • CQ Researcher
    Search for your topic as you normally would. Check out the bibliography, footnotes and contacts for live links to good web sites.
  • Encyclopædia Britannica: Encyclopædia Britannica Online
    Search on your topic. In the Choose a content source column (top, left), select Web Sites to see all available. The column gives you a count of each content source, so if you see 0, you are out of luck.
  • Facts.com
    Search for your topic as you normally would. Check out the bibliography, footnotes and contacts for live links to good web sites. In Today's Science you can browse from this link alphabetically by title, topic or organization type for science realted web sites.
  • Oxford Reference Online: Links
    Browse for good quality web sites by subject.
  • ProQuest Learning: History Study Center: Multimedia (related to history)
    Search on your topic and check only the Weblinks box to get good quality links on your topic.
  • ProQuest Learning: Literature: Multimedia (related to literature)
    Search on your topic and check only the Weblinks box to get good quality links on your topic.

Want more? Try Librarian Recommended Web Sites.

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