How to Search OneSearch
What is OneSearch?
OneSearch is a search engine that allows you to search simultaneously for books, articles, and more available at SCU Library within many of our databases, library catalog, and digital library collections in a single search interface. It can be a good starting point for interdisciplinary research, which you then might augment with some discipline-specific databases. Access OneSearch directly on the Library homepage.
Why should I use OneSearch? It can:
- save you time
- be a good starting point for interdisciplinary research
- help you to discover which specialized databases to use for further research
- display most relevant results first, whether they are books, scholarly articles, media, or digital content
- help you to discover content that you won’t find if you only search a single database like Academic Search Complete
How to Specific Databases
While OneSearch may be good for getting started in interdisciplinary or lower division courses, selecting and using databases specific to a particular discipline can be a more effective and efficient strategy for upper division or discipline-specific courses.
Example: For a psychology major or topic, using APA PsycInfo is likely to be a better strategy
Example: For a business major or topic, using Business Source Complete may make more sense
To locate databases specific to a discipline, select "Databases" off the Library homepage and then "Browse by Subject". Your subject librarian has listed recommended databases; reach out for help selecting or using those tools.
When starting your initial search in a database, use keywords that best describes your topic. Use the connector "AND" between your keywords or enter keywords in different search boxes. For example if you are interested in racial identity development in teenagers, you could do a search like this:
You can use synonyms or related terms to describe your topics. For example, "adolescent" is a synonym for "youth" in the search above.
You can also use an asterisk at the end of a word to retrieve various endings. For example, adolescent* would retrieve adolescent and adolescents.
When you look at your list of results in the database, If the full-text of an article is not readily available, click on the FIND IT @ SCU LIBRARIES icon to see if it's available in another database or in print in the library. If it's not you will have the option of using the Interlibrary Loan Service. It's free and very fast!
Recommended Databases
Humanities Databases:
- America: History and Life with Full Text This link opens in a new windowThis database provides articles, books, book reviews, and dissertations on the history and culture of the United States and Canada from prehistoric times to the present, and publication dates go from the late 19th century to the present.
- Historical Abstracts with full-text This link opens in a new windowContains articles, books, book reviews, and dissertations on the history of the world (except United States and Canada) from the 15th century to the present, and publication dates go from the 19th century to the present.
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new windowThis database tells where to find journal articles, books, articles in books, and dissertations in the fields of modern languages and their literatures, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, folklore, and film, published from 1926 to the present.
Social Sciences Databases:
- GenderWatch This link opens in a new windowThis database provides full-text articles on gender and women's studies, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) by authoritative perspectives from 1970 to present.
- LGBTQ+ Source This link opens in a new windowThis database provides full-text scholarly and popular articles, journals, magazines, and regional newspapers on current or historically significant LGBTQ issues, studies, queer theory, and more.
- Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new windowThis database provides access to journals, books, conference papers, and dissertations on the latest research in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences from 1963 to present.
- Women's Studies International This link opens in a new windowA bibliographic database providing indexing and abstracts for disciplines including sociology, history, international relations and humanities. All sources relevant to Women's studies on a global scale. 1972 - present.
- Communication Source This link opens in a new windowThis database provides comprehansive access to communication topics such as mass media, communication theory, linguistics, organizational communication, etc. Coverage goes back to 1915.
- Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new windowThis database contains two collections: 1) A current collection (1990-present) of full- text newspapers, magazines, and journals from ethnic and minority presses. 2) A History collection (1959-1989) of full-text newspapers, magazines and journals, focusing on African American, Hispanic American, and Native American presses.
- Criminal Justice Database This link opens in a new windowThe database covers criminology, corrections & law enforcement, criminal law, criminal justice, criminal rehabilitation, industrial crime, addictions (e.g., gambling), and child abuse. Coverage is from 1981 to the present.
- Political Science Complete This link opens in a new windowThis database covers political science topics in depth and has a worldwide focus. It includes scholarly journal articles, books, and conference papers.
Multidisciplinary Databases:
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new windowThis multidisciplinary database provides access to over 5,600 active full-text journals and over 6,500 open access journals. Covers topics that range from business, education, social sciences, humanities, engineering, and science. Coverage varies, updates also vary.
- Humanities Full Text This link opens in a new windowThis database provides brief summaries of, and information on where to find, English-language articles in the most important journals in the humanities, published from 1984 to the present.
- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowThis database provides access to images and the full text of articles in back issues of selected scholarly journals related to the humanities, social sciences, and life sciences.
Education and Psychology Databases:
- APA PsycArticles This link opens in a new windowThis database provides access to journals published by the American Psychological Association (APA) and two other publishers. Most journals are covered from volume one to the present.
- Education Full Text This link opens in a new windowThis database provides access to over 500 active professional and scholarly education journals. Dates of coverage vary by title, some go back to 1900. Updates vary.
Business Databases:
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new windowFull-text access to more than 3,500 journals, trade publications, magazines, and company profiles. Additional full-text non-journal content includes case studies, market research reports, SWOT analyses, country reports, and more.