# Searching for articles or eBooks

## Databases

The first option is to search for your topic directly in a database. The advantage of this is that you don't need to search for the full-text after finding an article that's relevant. On the other hand, you may need to perform that same search in several databases.

BI-accessible databases are indexed in [here](https://library.berlin-international.de/cgi-bin/koha/opac-page.pl?page_id=24).

<p class="callout success">Advantage: Full-text is immediately available to view / download.</p>

<p class="callout danger">Disadvantage: Only searches the journals available in the database being searched.</p>

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## Academic Search Engines

Using an academic search engine is a convenient way to search across many databases and journals at once, and while academic search engines sometimes link directly to full-texts (especially [Open Access](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/books/how-to-search/page/open-access-oa) materials), you will often need to find the full-text using a [research database](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/link/28#bkmrk-databases) once you have the citation.

<p class="callout success">Advantage: The ability to search thousands of journals at once.</p>

<p class="callout danger">Disadvantage: Doesn't always offer full-text of citations.</p>

#### [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com)

<details id="bkmrk-strengths-and-weakne"><summary>Strengths and Weaknesses of Google Scholar</summary>

<table class="table table-bordered" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #000000; border-style: solid;"><tbody><tr><td>**Google Scholar Strengths**

</td><td>**Google Scholar Weaknesses**</td></tr><tr><td valign="top">- Getting the “big picture” of the scholarly discourse around a topic.
- Viewing books, articles, conference proceedings, and more in one list.
- Determining authors and publications in an area of interest.
- Tracking down incomplete citations.

</td><td valign="top">- Limiting and sorting results by type (eg. peer reviewed articles, full-text, reviews).
- Searching within a specific discipline
- Browsing by journal title.
- Doing a comprehensive search for a literature review.
- Using controlled vocabulary to search by subject.
- Emailing lists of search results.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

Table 1. Google Strengths &amp; Weaknesses, from NYU Libraries. *Advanced Google Searching: Google Scholar*. *NYU Libraries*. New York University. 29 Nov 2017.&lt;https://guides.nyu.edu/googlescholar&gt;.

</details>#### [BASE](https://www.base-search.net/)

BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine) is a multi-disciplinary search engine to scholarly internet resources, created by Bielefeld University Library in Bielefeld, Germany. As of 2022, it had indexed over [280 million documents from over 9000 sources](https://www.base-search.net/about/en/about_statistics.php).<sup>1</sup>

#### [CORE](https://core.ac.uk/)

CORE (**CO**nnecting **RE**positories) is a service provided by the Knowledge Media Institute based at The Open University, United Kingdom.<sup>1</sup>

### **<sup>Finding full-text with citations</sup>**

<p class="callout info">After finding a citation with an academic search engine or via the bibliography of an already acquired source, it's time to find the full-text.</p>

#### Option 1: Search [EZB](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/books/journals-journal-articles/page/ezb-browse-all-journals) to see if BI has access to the journal

#### Option 2: Search the [BAU Discovery System](https://proxy.bau.edu.tr:4294/#!/) to see if the journal is available from BAU

#### Option 3: Use the [BAU EZProxy Bookmarklet](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/books/journals-journal-articles/page/bau-ezproxy-bookmarklet) to immediately see if full-text is available via BAU

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## Discovery Systems  


Discovery systems try to combine the two search methods described below by searching across many databases at once AND providing full-text access. Barbaros Library provides a discovery system that can be used to search most of their collections at once. [Click here for more information.](https://libguides.berlin-international.de/link/5#bkmrk-searching-all-bau-ho)

<p class="callout success">Advantage: Searches many databases at once and provides access to full-text.</p>

<p class="callout danger">Disadvantage: Only searches the collections of one institution and cannot be integrated with all databases.</p>

<sup>1</sup> Source: Wikipedia