COM 1010: Speech Communication

Explains the variety of databases available through the Newman Library.

What are Databases?

Databases are electronic collections of issues of newspapers, articles published in general interest news magazines, trade publications for people working in specific occupations, or scholarly journals covering all areas of study, statistics, personal names and places. Some have music, films, television programs, photographs and other information. 

Some databases are updated throughout the day with the most recent information, just as stock prices, or the weather, or news events.

Other databases are updated less often.  Some databases only have back issues of publications. Some databases may be searched for free, while others are quite expensive to gain access, search and retrieve results.

Your student tech fee helps pay for many databases for Baruch students to access on campus and off.

To Learn if the Library has a Specific Publication in a Database

Some publications are found in several databases while others may be available only in one database.

Basic Search Tips for Databases

Some databases offer pre-determined subjects or topics that may be the exact topic that you want to learn more about for your informative or persuasive speech. Or, they might use a synonym (a word that means the same).

Other databases may search using keywords that you will enter to do the search.

Searches are built by using connectors. These connectors are usually the words and and or. 

AND  narrows the search results to those that contain both terms being searched

Example: Persuasive and informative will retrieve only records in the database that contain both these terms

OR will retrieve more results because either term will be retrieved

Example: persuasive or convincing

You can also combine search terms using both "and" and "or"

Example:

(college or university student) and (cost or expense of textbooks) 

Hint: Many databases use parentheses to group phrases together.  Check "help" on the database