Find suitable databases

La Trobe University Library's Browse Databases page lists all of the databases available at La Trobe. In the left menu you will see Databases By Category. If you aren’t sure which databases to search, have a look at what is suggested for your subject area. If you know which database you are looking for, you can use the A-Z menu to navigate to it, or you can type the name into the search bar to search for it.

The Library’s Expert help guides are also designed to help you find and use a variety of resources for your study or research including identifying key databases for various subjects and you can browse the guides by subjects including Business & Law, Education, Engineering & Computer Science, Health, Humanities & Social Sciences, Psychology and Public Health.

Database appraisal

Consider the following criteria when deciding which database to use for your search. The adjoining questions will assist you in deciding which database/s are the most appropriate for your research.

Criteria	Questions to ask about the database
Comprehensiveness	Does the database offer reliable, comprehensive coverage of journal articles in the area of interest? Is it suitable for a comprehensive search of the literature or does it only cover a small percentage of the literature?
Scope	Coverage – what years are covered? How up to date is the information and how often is the database updated? What types of publications/formats are included?
Quality	Is peer reviewed academic information included?
Search Interface	How do you work the search functionality options in the search screens and results screens? Does the database allow for citation searching? Is controlled vocabulary searching available? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the interface screens?
Search syntax or algorithm	Does the database have the desired search syntax? What do the results show about how the search works?
Ease of Use	Is the database easy to access and to use? Is it easy to save searches, create alerts, export results, and download PDF? Is it easy to refine your searches e.g. to date, publication type, subject, etc.

Read more about database selection for evidence-based practice in the health disciplines here.