University Libraries > User Guides > Database Guides

EBSCOhost Databases

EBSCOhost offers a common interface for searching a number of databases at URI — Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, Pre-CINAHL, EBSCO Animals, Film & Television Literature Index, Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Inspec, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, NoveList, Primary Search, Textile Technology Index, and Women’s Studies International. Also available via Providence Public Library: Auto Repair Reference Center and Newspaper Source.

EBSCOhost databases can be searched by selecting the desired database from the list of reference databases at http://www.uri.edu/library/reference_databases/title.html.

The default search page for the majority of the EBSCOhost Databases available through the University is the Advanced Search. You do have the option to conduct a Basic Search but, for more control over your search, perform an Advanced Search.

Search features include limiting your search by full-text, peer-reviewed, journal title, number of pages, articles with images, date, or any combination of the above. You may expand your search by searching for related words and/or searching for the keyword(s) within the full text of articles.

The Advanced Search also allows you to use the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT to combine searches, to select specific fields to search, and to combine many operations into a single search. All of the “limit” and “expand” options listed for the Basic Search are also available in the Advanced Search.

Academic Search Premier Advanced Search.
Academic Search Premier’s Advanced Search Page.

For help with any aspect of the database, click on the Help link at the top of the page. To select appropriate subject terms, click on the Subject Terms link in the green bar. To search a specific journal, click on the Publications button.

You may use the ? to replace a letter in a word. For example: wom?n will find articles with records containing both woman and women. Using the * will find all words beginning with a part of a word — eval* will retrieve evaluate, evaluation, evaluations, etc. See the Help files for other options. The results of your search are presented in an abbreviated format.

Results Page — Each abbreviated record contains the basic citation information for the article. If the full text (such as HTML or PDF) is available within the EBSCOhost database that information will be provided below the record (see record #2). If, however, the EBSCOhost database does not provide the full text, links to other options are offered (see record #1).

Subject Terms that pertain to your search are located in the column to the left of the results. Each term is an open link which, if clicked on, will present you with a more focused list. The terms can also be used when refining a search (see tab in upper left corner).

Search Results -- Abbreviated Format.
Search Results — Abbreviated Format.

Evaluating the results — Although EBSCOhost databases offer links — Academic Journals, Magazines, Newspapers — that allow the researcher to restrict the content of the results list to that particular publication type (for example, of the 306 articles in the above list, only 53 are considered by Academic Search Premier to be academic), the best method for judging an article’s research value is to read the full record.

To view the the complete citation and abstract, click on the article title.

If the database provides full text for the article, you can either print, e-mail, or save it.

If, on the other hand, the EBSCOhost database does not provide the full-text of the article, scroll down to the bottom of the citation page and click on the Search For Full Text link for other online options or a link to the HELIN Catalog for a print version of the article.

If the full text is not available either online or in print through the University Library, copy down the citation provided by the EBSCOhost database and use Interlibrary Loan to obtain the article.

Full Record for an item.

If you have any questions on how to use EBSCOhost databases, please contact the Reference Desk at (401) 874-2653. EBSCOhost databases are available to students, faculty, and staff of the University of Rhode Island only.

J. Burkhardt, B. Kenney & A. Rathemacher • 11/01, A. Izenstark, rev. 12/02, A. Rathemacher, rev. 3/04 • Rev. BTG, 8/06