How to Find and Use Databases
When looking for articles on your topic, the best way to start is to search within article databases. The UCLA Library has access to hundreds of databases, which in turn indexes thousands of periodicals. Many, but not all, contain the full text of articles.
Before beginning your research:
- Know the difference between scholarly vs. popular articles.
TIP! Make sure your computer is configured for off-campus access to both licensed and unlicensed online databases.
Finding Databases
To find the appropriate databases, go to the UCLA Library website. If you have a specific database in mind:
- go to the Search and Find menu
- click on Find a Database by Title
- type in the database name
If you do not already know which database to use:
- go to the Search and Find menu
- click on Browse Databases by Subject
- find the appropriate discipline(s)
TIP! Keep in mind that you research topic will probably cover more than one discipline. For example, if you are doing research on Chinese archaeology, you would have to search in both anthropology/
Watch this video for instructions on selecting the appropriate databases. You can also go to Find It! Articles to get a tutorial on finding and evaluating articles.
Using Databases
Once in a database, start with a keyword search using words relevant to your topic. When you see an article that looks interesting, click on the title to see the complete citation. If there are subject terms or descriptors, click on those that seem related to your topic to get other articles on the subject.
Some tips:
- Not all databases provide the full text of articles. Some are indexes that only provide citations, and sometimes abstracts. Use the
button to do an automated search for the full text or to search for the journal title in the UCLA Library Catalog. - Do not pay for an article. Find out first if the Library has access to the journal or obtain the article/
journal through interlibrary loan. - You can access these resources for free while off campus! vSet up your browser for the Bruin OnLine (BOL) proxy or VPN. All you need is your UCLA ID and password and an Internet connection.
Top Databases for General Sociology
Not sure where to start? The following databases include articles on all aspects of sociology. Start with these first.
- Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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Indexes the international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences from over 1,800+ serials publications; also provides abstracts of books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference papers. Coverage from 1952-present. - Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
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Comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 5,500 full-text periodicals, including more than 4,600 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 9,500 journals and a total of nearly 10,000 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. - Web of Science This link opens in a new window
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A multidisciplinary database, with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of most disciplines. Indexes major journals with all cited references captured. Combines the following citation databases: Science Citation Index Expanded; Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI); Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI); Conference Proceedings Citation Index.
Related Databases
- America: History & Life This link opens in a new window
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Historical coverage of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Indexes articles from over 1,700 history journals published worldwide since 1964. - Anthropology Plus This link opens in a new window
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Contains records from Anthropological Literature and Anthropological Index for journal articles, reports, commentaries, edited works, and obituaries in the fields of social, cultural, physical, biological, and linguistic anthropology, ethnology, ethnography, archaeology, folklore, material culture, and interdisciplinary studies. Covers the late 19th century to the present. - ATLA Religion Database This link opens in a new window
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Index to journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays in all scholarly fields of religion; includes articles written in 36 languages. - Daily Life through History (Academic) This link opens in a new window
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A collection of primary documents, reference works, monographs, images, maps, illustrations, and time lines depicting essential activities of daily life across the globe and throughout history. - eHRAF World Cultures This link opens in a new window
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Provides complete text of ethnographic resources (mainly books, also articles and manuscripts) on cultures from around the world, past and present, indexed by culture and subject in a unique scheme. The electronic version of the Human Relations Area File. - ERIC (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
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Index to journal articles and gray literature on educational research and practice from 1969 to the present and ERIC documents since 1966.
- Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
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Complete text of articles from 1959 to the present from publications of the ethnic, minority, and native press. Covers news, culture, and history, and is searchable in both English and Spanish.
- Family & Society Studies Worldwide This link opens in a new window
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Indexes articles, books, conference papers, and reports in the fields of family science, human ecology, human development, and social welfare. Covers research, policy, and practice literature from 1970 to the present. - GenderWatch This link opens in a new window
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Full text publications focusing on the impact of gender across multiple subject areas. Include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books, and more.
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
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Includes 2500 legal journals, the entire Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, and entire databases dedicated to treaties, constitutions, case law, world trials, classic treatises, international trade, foreign relations, U.S. Presidents, and much more.
- Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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Index and abstracts for articles on the history of the world from 1450 to the present (excluding the United States and Canada, which are covered in America: History and Life) published since 1955.
- APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window
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Abstracts and citations to journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, and dissertations relevant to students, researchers, and professionals working in the psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences.
- PubMed This link opens in a new window
Citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. Also searches NCBI's integrated molecular biology databases, including nucleotide sequences, protein sequences, 3-D protein structure data, population study data sets, and assemblies of complete genomes in an integrated system. Note: This link uses a special address which turns on Get it at UC. Without that, PubMed does not link to UCLA's online subscriptions.
- Women's Studies International This link opens in a new window
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Provides access to citations for a wide range of topics in the study of women and gender, 1972-present.
- World Folklore and Folklife This link opens in a new window
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An interdisciplinary resource that bridges the gap between past and present, offering a new way to look at core curriculum topics such as literature, social and religious practices, history, art, music, and language. - Worldwide Political Science Abstracts This link opens in a new window
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Citations, abstracts, and indexing of the international literature in political science, international relations, law, and public policy.
Find News Articles
- How to Find News Media at UCLAThis online guide contains links and explanations to current and historical newspapers and broadcasts, from local, national and international sources.