Which databases can be the best to start research? 

Databases are necessary in the academic setting because they act to store information and knowledge. Choosing the right databases will be especially important in any research project for improving quality and relevant information. At the UTA Libraries, there is an extensive collection of databases, which cover subjects in the hard sciences, humanities, health sciences, and social sciences, making it a valuable tool for research and learning no matter which program you are enrolled in. 

 Each UTA database has unique features and strengths. The following databases provide quality, all-around resources across scientific fields that ensure our community receives relevant, up-to-date information. Using these databases is a strong start to any research project, allowing you to refer to earlier works, identify research gaps, and then contribute new knowledge in different fields. 

Key Databases at UTA Libraries by subject 

Our group of subject librarians can help you to identify relevant databases and design an accurate search query in your field. The following list of databases by subject can be your first step to identify where to look for the best sources:  

Health Sciences 

1. PubMed: comprehensive coverage of medical and biological sciences with robust search capabilities. 
2. CINAHL Complete: nursing and allied health research database, providing full text for many journals. 
3. PsycINFO: extensive coverage of psychology literature and related fields such as psychiatry, sociology, education, and more. 
4. Cochrane Library: contains systematic reviews, clinical trials, and other resources aimed at improving healthcare outcomes. 
5. Embase:  information on drug and pharmacological research. 

Social Sciences 

1. PsycINFO: as mentioned earlier, PsycINFO covers literature in psychology and related fields such as psychiatry, sociology, education, and more. 
2. JSTOR: provides access to thousands of academic journals, books, and primary sources across a range of disciplines, focusing on humanities and social sciences. 
3. ProQuest Social Sciences: offers access to business, health, social sciences, arts, and humanities resources. 
4. ERIC (Education Resources Information Center): extensive collection of educational resources with valuable tools for educators and researchers in education. 
5. Social Science Research Network (SSRN): access to early-stage research, preprints, and a wide range of social science disciplines. 

Humanities 

1. America: History and Life: Provides indexing, abstracts, and full-text for U.S. and Canadian historical and cultural literature, from prehistory to present.  
2. Alexander Street Collections: a collection of music, video, books, music scores, primary source materials and more across a wide variety of subjects and disciplines. 
3. Music Online: Jazz Music Library: is the largest and most comprehensive collection of streaming jazz available online — with thousands of jazz artists, ensembles, albums, and genres.   
4. Oxford Bibliographies: offers exclusive, authoritative research guides on diverse subjects. Merging the benefits of an annotated bibliography with a high-level encyclopedia, this advanced resource guides researchers to the top available scholarship in numerous fields. 

Sciences 

1. IEEE Xplore Digital Library: provides access to IEEE journals, conferences, standards, and ebooks in the fields of electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics. 
2. Engineering Village:a premier database for engineering research, including Compendex, Inspec, and GEOBASE. 
3. Web of Science: multidisciplinary database offering comprehensive citation data across a wide range of subjects. Its scope is excellent in physics, engineering, and environmental sciences. 
4. ScienceDirect: access to a large collection of scientific and technical research articles in fields such as science, technology, and medicine. 

Do not hesitate to make an appointment with a subject librarian for help optimizing your use of specific databases. As research librarians, our main goal is to support the UTA community's research and learning needs, including support for understanding database scope and content, searching tips, and effective research techniques.  Tutorials across fifty-four subjects are one of our main channels of help. These resources are accessible 24/7, allowing faculties and students to learn at their own pace and convenience. Library guides and tutorials across fifty-four subjects where you can find other database recommendations are accessible 24/7, allowing faculties and students to learn at their own pace and convenience.