Base is one of the world's most voluminous search engines especially for academic web resources. BASE provides more than 240 million documents from more than 8,000 content providers. You can access the full texts of about 60% of the indexed documents for free (Open Access). BASE is operated by Bielefeld University Library.
Use these free web search engines to locate scholarly literature and web content. In Google Scholar, look for the PDF link to the right of the document, if full-text is available.
Need help distinguishing between popular and scholarly sources? Use this Popular vs. Scholarly tutorial to learn more.
The following videos can help you become a more efficient user of Google and Google Scholar:
Database Examples
Databases are commercial products that bundle a variety of resources into a single, easily searchable interface. Database contents are primarily articles from scholarly journals, but include popular magazine and newspaper articles, and audio visual materials as well.
A results page for "mechanical engineering" in Gale Academic Onefile:
Advanced search options make it easier to find specific resources.
*Notice the Search Tips and the Search Limiters at the bottom of the Advanced Search - these are Boolean Operators and special characters that improve your search.
Use the following video to help you learn more about narrowing your topics in a Gale database:
Use this resource guide (PDF) from Gale for more in-depth instructions for searching content in databases.
Free Databases
The state of Arizona provides free access to Arizona residents to several that may be used in STEM research. You will access these databases by entering your zip code.
Main Library | 1510 E. University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721
(520) 621-6442
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