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Introduction to database searching

If you are searching for a topic or subject rather than a specific article you might like to search one of our databases. These often focus on a particular subject area or discipline and reduce the amount of results you receive from irrelevant subjects.

Databases are collections of resources such as journal articles and conference papers, and also sometimes book chapters and reports. If you are doing a literature search or systematic review they are a key resource to use.

There are two main kinds of database:

  • Bibliographic - they won't show you the full paper straight away, but you can often read an abstract and see the author details. You'll need to check with Get it @ King's if the Library has access to the journal article
  • Full text - will let you open and read the article directly from the list of results

Newspapers - A&H

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with finding Newspaper articles online. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Newspapers:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching in the Finding Academic Material for Arts & Humanities Topics module of KLaSS:

Getting the full text

If a database lists something you want to read, look for a button that says 'Get it at King's' Get it @ King's This will take you to Library Search and to the full text, if the library subscribes to the journal, or prompting you to request the item via Inter Library Loan. 

I can't see the 'Get it @ King's'

If the 'Get it @ King's' button is not available then you should use Library Search to see if the article or book is available through another database.

New to using Library Search?

Find out how to use Library Search to find the books and items you need in the Getting Started With the Library - Undergraduates and Taught Postgraduates section of this guide - look for the navigation button in the top left corner!

Databases by subject - A&H

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Classics topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Classics:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching in the Finding Academic Material for Arts & Humanities Topics module of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Comparative Literature topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Comparative Literature:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Culture, Media and Creative Industries topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Culture, Media and Creative Industries:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Digital Humanities topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Digital Humanities:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with English topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for English:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Film topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Film:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with French topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for French:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with German topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for German:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Hellenic Studies topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Hellenic Studies:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

A-Z Databases for History

New to researching History, or want a more general approach? Proquest's Humanities Index is a great place to start:

Further resources for History topics have been broken down by historical period in the box below this one:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Liberal Arts topics. 

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Music topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Music:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Philosophy topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Philosophy:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Theology & Religious Studies topics. For a more complete list of databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Theology & Religious Studies:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Databases by period of history - A&H

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Ancient History topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for History:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching in the Finding Academic Material for Arts & Humanities Topics module of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Medieval History topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for History:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Early Modern History History topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for History:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with 18th Century History topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for History:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with 19th Century History topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for History:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with 20th Century to Present History topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for History:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Databases by Institute or region of the world - A&H

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with African Leadership topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching in the Finding Academic Material for Arts & Humanities Topics module of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Australian topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Brazilian topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Chinese topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Indian topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with London topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Middle Eastern topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with North American topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS:

Below are a small selection of databases for getting started with Russian topics. For a more complete list of related databases, visit the A-Z list of databases for Global Affairs:

New to using online databases?

Complete interactive tutorials on literature searching and earn badges in the Finding and Evaluating Information section of KLaSS: