Facts and Comparisons

Today i looked at the Facts and Comparisons Database. It is a compilation of drug facts and drug comparisons. This database is fairly easy to use if the user knows drug names. There is a search option where users can search specific drugs. The advanced search option allows users to search certian fields of the database like cancer chemotherapy manual or the review of natural products section. On the home page there is a dosing tool that has different calculators on it. Users can type in the drug and the patients age and weight and get correct dosing infromation. There is also a drug identifier where users can type in a description of the drug, like the color or shape or imprit on the pill and the database will list possible matches for the drug. The database also provides a list of drug names that sound alike and are easily confused. There is also a list of drugs that look alike and may be confused. When users pull up a fact sheet on a drug the information is split into sections like drug interactions, adverse reactions and dosage information. This way users can just glance at the page and click on the section that they want to read about. The type is short and consise which is nice because users do not have to spend time sifting through information to find something useful. There is also a link at the top of the facts page that says related documents. Once clicked a list of other documents that may be helperful or that relate to the first drug is shown. this database offers an imunization schedules page that lists from birth to death when people should be imunized. I think that this database is really helpful. Besides all the drug information there are many tools and gadgets that even the everyday little drug knowledge person could use. The database is clean and very easy to use, and even though i am not a medical expert it seems to me like they really have a lot of helpful information.

National Guideline Clearinghouse

Today I looked at the National Guideline Clearinghouse database for healthcare professionals. The objective of the database is to provided healthcare providers with information, guidelines and even purchasers. The database is put together by a board of health care professionals. Healthcare providers can submit guidelines that are then reviewed by the board and even annually reviewed to insure that the information is up to date and still relevant. The database is user friendly but does not have alot of bells and whistles. There is a download option where users can open documents in other programs like word. One really neat option is the compare guidelines button. A patrons can select two or more guidelines and then hit the compare button and the database will line the guidelines up next to each other and compare the two against one another in each catagory. The database provides articles, guideline sheets and expert commentaries where users can comment.
After reviewing this database, I will say that it seems like it was not intended for people with little or not medical background. The information is cery technical and I can honestly admitt that more often than not I had no understanding of what I was reading. I think it could be very helpful for healthcare professionals or students that are at the end of their degree program, but probably not the beginners or someone in lets say, education. It did seem to me that there was alot of information. So for the right users I think it could be very helpful.

Family and Society Studies Worldwide

Tonight I looked at The Family and society studies worldwide database. The database includes articles about culture, families, education and much much more. This is an Ebsco Database so everything is pretty straight forward and easy to use. There is the basic search and then the more advanced search. One search i don't remember ever seeing before is the visual search. Users type a subject into the search bar and a search map appears. It breaks the results down into subheadings and even those subheadings have subheadings. You can limit just a few times and be down to one or two searches. Once you find a few that you may be interested in users can click it and see a summary at the side of their screen. It saves a little time going in and out of article pages that may or may not be useful. It is a really easy and visual way to narrow searches, and it is great for students who work better visually. One thing I did notice that makes browsing this database much easier is hitting the full text option on the side. My first search returned tons of results many being articles that i could not view. After limiting only full text articles the results were much more manageable and I actually found things worth my time. I also came across a few things that seemed a little amateur in their nature or just full of opinions so I think for class purposes it would be wise for patrons to also click the peer reviewed limiter. I think this database is a really great resource. It is easy to use and has a lot of information that could really be helpful to patrons.

Environment Complete

today i looked at the Environment Complete database. It is an Ebsco product so the screen is very clean and easy to understand at first glance. Users can choose to search using boolean or other search methods like "find all my search terms". There is also a limit option where users can choose to limit their searches by references held by swosu or full text results and others. I did a search on the Lynx. 36 results were returned which is pretty good, not too overwhelming. then i limited my search even more by cutting the publication date down to things published within the last ten years. I could have limited more by publication type, geography, or theasaurus terms. Once a user finds an article that intrests them they can open it and navigate their way through it using the "inside this work" bar to the left. By clicking the headings users can go right to the paragraph that may be useful to them. Users can print save and share articles right from the article page. there is also a folder and export system. This database is really easy to use but its not really too exciting, just useful :)

OYEZ: US Supreme Court Media

Today I looked at The Oyez Database. This database is a collection of court cases and information about the supreme court. I did a search on church vs. state and tons of results came up. When results are returned cases are displayed by title and then a little snippet is also displayed beside it. The snippet is just a little overvue of the case. When a user finds a case they may be interested in the can read the facts of the case along with the conclusion and the how many votes were given for each side. Users can also listen to an oral argument or download the mp3 of the audio. You can also look at all the details of the case like date and which justices were on the case. There is also a cite option at the bottom of the page that sites the case for you. Users can also browase through different courts and the justices that serve there. One super cool thing this database offers is a virtual tour of the supreme court buliding and some of the judges chambers. Users can navigate their way through doors and rooms and get to view what the building looks like...its almost like you are there in real life. The tour is my favorite part of the database. I think this database is easy to use and could really be helpful to someone needing court information or maybe someone writing a historical paper like i had to in comp II.

Ethnographic Video Online:

Today i looked at The Ethnographic Video Online Database. This database is a collection of documentaries. There are over 1000 videos in the collection spanning from the earliest video in 1922 to today. The videos cover all things to do with culture and people. Topics include things like, Religious Practices, Cultural Body Language and Gender Roles. I found that the search for this database can be a little tough. I typed in something pretty general in the search bar on the home page and returned no results. Then I went to the refine search page and included keywords and geographical location then I got a few results back.One thing i thought was very neat is that every documentary has a transcript that is right beside the video. As the video plays the transcript highlights the dialogue as it is being spoken. It does this throughout the video. Users can also click anywhere in the transript and the video will skip ahead or go back to that exact spot. I think browsing by subject is a really great way to use this database but users can also browse by date, ethnographer, cultural group and others. With every video there is a release notes link. this link just gives a little explanation of the video and anything the maker wants you to know or remember while viewing it. There is also an embed option as well as a print transcript option. Videos range in length. I found one that was 27 minutes and another that was 54 seconds. I remember when i was in a speech class and had to have 1 video resource for my speech. i think this database could have really come in handy. it is easy to use and video instead of reading is sometimes nice for a change!

Nursing Reference Center

Today I looked at the nursing reference center. this database seems to have it all. On the home page there is a search bar. When a patrons is searching they can search by assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation, or they can just do a general search. Users can also browse through a basic search or searches that are a little more specific like disease and conditions, patient education, and drug information. The home page also has a Spotlight section that highlights key features if the database. there is also a nursing news section that highlights all the new and updated news in the nursing world. There is an advanced search option as well. Users can limit by document type, publication date and expand by related words. When search results are returned users can even put the results in to catagories like legal cases, evidence based care sheets, and quick lessons or they can just view all returned results. When a users finds a publication they find useful there is a folder system. They can also print, export, or email the source. The site does offer a citation button and at the bottom of each entry there is a Reference section that lists all the sources the author used. I think this could really come in handy for students writing papers needing more sources. The thing i liked about this databse the most was that the entries were understandable. Many times i get on a pharmacy database and I have NO IDEA what they are talking about. This website is really easy to read and understand while still being very very educational. I read a few articles about Epidurals and i feel very informed :) I think this database is pretty great!

acs publications

Today I looked at ACS Publications. Acs Publications is a database full of peer-reviewed journals in the chemical and related science fields. The site itself is layed out very nicely and is very user frienldy. Users can right away view an alphabetical Journal list that list all journals included in the database. There is also a book section that users must subscribe to. Once the users finds a journal enrty they are interested in, they can click the full view button and view the entire article very easily. There is also a folder system, a download citation option and even a order reprints button. Once you are on a specific journals main page you have many options of different ways to view the journal. Users can view past entries as well as current issues. There is also a multimedia option where patrons can view any multi-media put out by the journal...like podcasts and image galleries. Users can also browse through the journal. Most viewed issues, Author index, current issues, and cover art galleries are a few options users can browse through. I have no background in science or chemistry so this site was a little over my head as far as the reading goes but actaully navigating the site was no problem. I think it is user friendly and could be very useful for people interested in that kind of thing...not me :)

LION

Today I looked at Literature Online. For some reason I am having to write this blog completely over because the Blogger Site had an Error. fuuuunnn.....anyway This database is a huge collection of Literary works including drama, prose, and poetry. I think the easiest way to get started on LION is to go to the site map. This page shows users their many search options. It is a great jumping off point. Users can search authors, texts, and reference and criticism just to name a few. Once a user decides what they want to search they can click one of the options and the site takes them to a search bar page. I personally think the search process in the database is a little overwhelming. There are so many search bars and options to narrow or broaden your search. Users can choose author nationality, genre, Literary movement and much more. There also is a bowse option where users can view a list of authors or topics. this may be a little easier to navigate. Once users find something they are interested in the resource is pulled up on the first page. I thought this was really nice. There is no need for extra clicking or waiting for a document to open in another window, it is imediately available. There is a marked list option. it works a lot like a folder system other than there is no need to log in to use it. It just saves all your marked works in a list for future viewing. The only real draw back I saw about this site was just how much information is returned at each search. It can be a little tough to navigate. Other than that i think it is a pretty good database.

Biography Reference Center

Today I looked at the Biography Reference Center Database. The database is exactly what the title suggests. Its a huge collection of biographies on anyone important from Amelia Earhart to Peyton Manning. This databse works by users typing in a specific persons name and then the database brings up biographies on that person for the user to look at. One thing I thought was nice about this database is while some people only have one biography for users to read most have more than one by different authors. This gives the user more than one source and possibly more information if one author left out something that another may have included. The site offers links to the biographies as well as citations that are already done for the user. Like many other databases Biography Reference Center offers a folder system. There is also a direct link to a "search other database collections" link. This link takes you to a site that offers other databases patrons may be interested in cross referencing. Off to the side of every biography the sub-sections of the written work are broken down. That way if a patron is wating to learn more about stephenie meyer concerning The Twilight Saga, the user can look through the subsection listing and click the one that intrests them. That way they dont have to read the entire biography just to find specific information. Many Biographies offer links to the persons personal website which may be handy for some users. There is a hint section offered that allows patrons to select different languages, view as pdf, and also read tutorials teaching them how to broaden or narrow their search. I think this database is easy to use and could be very helpful to patrons.

Teacher Tube

Today I am blogging about Teacher Tube. I think this website is really neat. This site is a compilation of educational videos for teachers, videos helping to teach teachers how to use certian equipment or programs as well as videos that teachers can show their classes...like a video on Julius Ceasar for Comp II classes. There is also a document section. I thought this section was really helpful because teachers can downlaod worksheet, powerpoints and information sheets to use in their classrooms. I found a complete slide show on the human reproductive system. There is also a resourse section where teachers can chose grade or subject and get tons of printable material for their students. I found some second grade material like printable worksheets and halloween color/craft projects. They offer lesson plans and vocabulary lessons. I can see how this site could be useful to students having to create lesson plans for their education classes. One down side to this site is that it seems like anyone can downlaod things to the database. So users may come across songs, like "Rollin' On Swangaz" in the audio section...i am not really sure what "Swangaz" are but it doesn't sound very educational to me. Also in the photo section there were quite a few personal photos that users had downloaded. Nothing inappropriate but nothing that pertained to education. All in all though I think this is a useful database and something that could really be benefitial to education students.

Points Of View Reference Center

Today I looked at Points of View Reference Center. So far this is my favorite database. I remember having to write a point of view essay for comp II, this database would have really come in handy then. The database is exactly what the title suggests it is. Users can find a large selection of differing view points on many hot topic issues as well as other issues that they may be interesting in. Right now bullying in shools is a huge issue. I looked up articles on the issue and found great sources on the subject. One article's point of view is that admin should focus on the bully. The next article talked about how administration should focus on teaching victims how to deal with bullies. I also looked up somethings that were interesting to me. Like epidurals...I found out a lot of helpful information and the pros and cons of the procedure. I think this database could be really helpful not only to patrons writing papers but to anyone needing information to make a decision, like whether or not to get an epidural. The site offers citations as well as getting started guides like essay outline how to's. You can also pick the type of resourse you are shown. You can choose articles, newspapers, periodicals, and even radio and television transcripts. Like many other databases this one also offers a folder system and and export option. The site is very easy to use and also VERY helpful!

Lynda.com

Today I researched Lynda.com. It took me a few minutes and reading the "about us" section to figure out what the database was about but alas! i figured it out! :) Lynda.com is a database that provides online tutorial videos that teach users how to use different technology relatated things. Tutorial subjects range from how to use facebook to adobe and everything in between. Most of the subject I didn't even know what they were (why I should spend more time on Lynda) but the few that I did recongnize were very informative and could be extremely halpful for someone who just switched from a pc to mac for instance. Some of the videos i could not access because i am not subscribed to the database. Thats the only downer about this database. the more in depth videos require that you be subscribed. If you have no plans of subscribing this database is great for learning what a program is, maybe not all the ins and outs of the program but Lynda.com without subscription will definately get you started. I think this database could be extremely helpful, and watching a video beats reading a how to manual any day!!!

Encyclopedia Britannica

Today I researched Encyclopedia Britannica. I think this database is the best one i have looked at so far! In some of my Gen Ed. classes i remember having to find an article to write about. The writing part was easy for me but actually finding an article that was worth writing about was a complete different story. This database is great for just that. Its a collection of articles or blogs rather that are intellectual and chosen individually for this database. The database is really manageable meaning any student could easily access it and find just what they are looking for, and if they aren't sure what they are looking for it would also be great for getting some inspiration. It covers topics from Fashion week to Emotional Robots to Declining Great American Cities. It has a search option and it also has a great homepage that offers links to Top catagories and top authors. It includes videos in some of its articles which i thought was pretty neat. You can share posts that you are interested in on social networks like facebook and stumbleupon. I think it is a pretty interesting database and it seems to have something for everyone.

Annual Review

tonight i looked at the Annual Review Database under the pharmacy link. When I read about it, I thought it sounded like a pretty cool database. Its basically a collection of scientific, critical reviews for 40 different scientific dicsiplines, like biomedicine, economics and physical sciences. The reviews are written by leading scientists in each field. When i searched i entered mental health into the search bar. The site brought up many results. There are ways to narrow your search by adding key words or excluding other words. you can pull up a pdf of the review or there is a full view option but you have to subscribe to it or pay a $20 fee to view the article. I am not sure if this is suppose to be the way it works or if maybe our subscription has run out.!?! The link does give you article information and the author. I suppose it could get a patron started in the right direction or maybe we hold the actaul journals that are being reviewed and they could look at them on their own. it sounds like it could be a really cool site...if i could get all the way into it.

Social Science Citation Index

This evening I researched the Social Science Citation Index under the Education Tab. This site offers a really great search. There are many limiters you can add and there are search bars right on the home page to add or exclude certian words from search results. It also has a year and database limiter. After you actually do a search you can go to the left hand side bar and refine your search even more by selecting areas of study, document types, languages, and even institutions. You can order your search results by relevance, entry date, and author. The database has a citation option as well as an export to endnote or refman. you can also mark each result if it something you are interested in or may want to come back to later. It seems to be a pretty helpful and straight forward site if you are looking for things that fall under the social science catagory. It seems to be like many other databases though. I didn't really see anything that made it stand out to me or make me say "oooooo how neat!" good database still.

Credo

Today I researched Credo. This site is my assigned datbase as well as a new addition to the libraries collection. I think it is really a great place to start research. It is really based of general reference matireal. One of the best options this database offers is its link directly to our catalog as well as other databases such as academic search complete and Oxford reference. It has a bilingual dictionary link for those students that english is not their first language. It also has Concept Map that is SUPER COOL! I remember having to do one of those for my comp class. It is really neat and would give students a great jumping off point. When you click on an entry related entries are displayed to the left of the screen. You can email, save, and even share entries on other networks like facebook or google. There is also an Easybib link that puts whatever you are looking at into bibliography form. There is a conversions option in gadgets for quick conversion references. There is somewhat of a folder system that does not require signing in which is nice. The only thing I can say I dont like about Credo is that it is very basic. Most information you look up is pretty general. It serves as a great jumping off point but i think there are better database options for in depth research.

Education Mental Measurments

Today I researched the Education Mental Measurments Database. I started by searching preschool rating scales. Because the site is an ebsco product it brought up MANY results but easily enough I found one that met what I was looking for. One option I think could be very helpful for students writing research papers is the "find simular results" link that is available after you click on an article. The database narrows down your original search and chooses entries that are very simular to the one you chose originally. The database also has a create note option that I thought was really nifty. You can create notes as you go along finding things you want to include in your research. This could come in real handy, I wish I would have known more about this when I was having to write papers all the time. Like many other databases there is a direct export link as well as a sitation link that includes six different citation styles. Users can also set up a folder system with this database. I get so excited about different languages and guess what!?! This site translates full articles into any language you could ever imagine. There is also a preference option that lets you control the way the screen looks, column settings, and citation settings. This database has all the bells and whistles that make research a little less nightmare-ish!

Kraus Curriculum Development Library Database

I researched the Kraus curriculum Development Library Database this afternoon as well. Originally this database really confused me. I wasn't sure exactly what my searches were bringing up. But after some readung and researching the background infromation i think i have it somewhat figured out. It is (surprise suprise) exactly what it says it is...a curriculum library. Search results bring up potential curriculum you might be interested in and then you click on what you want. The page brings up the curriculum as well as information about it like topics covered, author and contributors as well as a download link to view the actual source. I thought this database was pretty neat. its something different. it doesn't just give you information but actual curriculum. I can see how this would be very helpful to education students. I have seen student after student come in and have to sift through all our curriculum. this data base is very specific and its search options make narrowing your search down to exactly what you want fairly easy. I think it is a good database and is something that all education students should know about.

Mental Measurment Database

After posting my blog on the reference desk page I tried to paste it here..with no luck so my blog will now be located under the comment section of this post. Today's not my day.

First Research

The database I reasearched tonight is First Research. This database covers all kinds of different aspects of business. There is a search box like many other databases. First Research also includes a main topic search where general links are provided in order to navigate users to what they are looking for more easily. Since I usually spend my summers in a grain elevator I decided to do my search on agriculture crop production. The search brought up a large article that is devided into chapters like recent developments, financial infromation, trends and opportunities and more. You can view all chapters at once or click on the link at the side and the database will navigate you to the chapter of your choice. The article provided information about producers, statistics about production, new technologies that impove farming, soil information and much more. The page also offers links to other sources that may be helpful to users. There is a tab at the top of the home page that says states and provinces. When I clicked on it a map appeared where users can chose a state they want information about. An article then comes up with all kinds of information about that state. Users can see the unemployment rate, export statistics, and tax revenue information. Users can also see what towns in that state are hiring and which are laying workers off. There are also major industry updates where patrons can get the latest information on health care, manufacturing, tourism, and more as it pertains to that state. This database is so helpful. I really think its creators covered all their bases. There is tons of information on this site, and it is easy to use.

wired.MD

The second research project i completed today was over wired.MD. This database provides video and full articles to patients and medical students to help them develop a better understanding of medical issues. The coolest thing about this database was the little animated body at the side. Users can choose male or female then scroll over any part of the body and click to bring up information about that particular area. Upon clicking articles on that topic pop up in a little dialog looking box towards that side. A user can scroll through these results quickly and find information they are looking for without ever having to tough the keyboard. When you choose a major topic there are other sub areas you can choose to, like watching video about the subject, reading handouts, viewing prescription information and more. This database has a basic search like any other database where users can type in their topics, but it also has a search by specialty option. This site is SOOOO simple to use and there is really no need to ever touch the keys. It is all just a click away. Vidoes come right up on the window as well as articels too. Users are never navigated away from the home screen it all pops up on one page. I really like this database.

MedlinePlus

Today I did my first research project over Medline plus.Medline Plus was designed to answer medical questions. This datebase brings together medical information from proffesional sources all over the world. On the homepage I did a basic search on oncology. When the site brought up my search results it first defined Oncology in everyday terms. One result said intestinal cancers. I clicked on it and it brought up a page that begins by defining the subject and giving you other names the it is known by. Then it gives you tons of links that have resources, ways to learn more, recent developments, research help and more. The database also gives pictures and models to help in the research process. Statistical information as well as an Encyclopedia are included in search results. This database is not very exciting but it does work well, and it gives the users tons of information.

NHS Evidence

The data base I researched today is called NHS evidence. This database was created as a melting pot for medical information and new and cutting edge evidence in the medical field. This database provides free access to clinical and non-clinical medical infromation on small scales and large scales. The website was created for nurses, pharmacists, librarians, allied health proffesionals and more. One thing I thought was really neat was the users ability to registar then the database sends them updates in their area of work or intrest. This database saves searches and even small parts of searches like a sentence or paragraph the user found helpful or interesting. You can also rate entries that fall under your searches with a star system ranging from very helpful to useless. The searches bring up different sources like journals, articles and books. I thought that was neat because it would give someone maybe writing a paper many differnt sources especially if the prof. requires so many book sources or a certian number of article sources and so on. This site took me a little bit to figure out but all in all it is very useful.

How Could I Improve My Communication Skills?

While thinking about this question a few things popped into my head. I am a "talker". I am rarely afraid to say what is on my mind, and I don't struggle with expressing my opinion. I think sometimes because I am so outgoing I come across as cocky and people think that I might not be listening to them. I need to spend more time listening instead of planning my rebuttal so that it comes across that I do care, and that I want to hear what they have to say. Another area I struggle with is watching peoples body language and dealing with the problem before they say anything. Jason mentioned earlier that he can always tell when the printer is acting up by the way people are reacting to it. I don't think I pay close enough attention to peoples body language so that I could address a problem before they even get up to complain. I need to watch more closely. Lastly I always seem to be in such a hurry that I rarely re-read what I type. I am sure that this entry is full of typos. (hopefully I will remember to proof read before I send it.) I am not always in a hurry but I tend to always be thinking about the next thing I have to do and sometimes neglect to check for misspelled words or things that might not come across clearly. I need to slow down and reserve all my focus for the task at hand instead of always thinking about what has to be done next!

Trip Database

Today I researched the Trip Database. It is a database that is designed for medical professionals to find supporting evidence on clinal practice. It gives the user articles that review medical studies. It shares the outcome and any cmplication along the way. It is almost like an overview of medical experiments. You can filter your searched on the side bar. Filters include things like evidence based Synopses, Guidlines, Systematic reviews and more. This is a really easy database to use and the more I think about it, the whole idea of this database is brilliant. It is one big place where all kinds of cutting edge medical information is all stored. Its a great way for medical professionals across the world to get information of what other people are doing and what is working and what is not. This database also has a community notice board that users can sign up to use so that they can be updated in their area of intrest. It also has a facebook myspace and twitter to keep users updated. This is a great database.

ArticleFirst

Tonight I researched the database ArticleFirst. This database is mcuh like many other databases as far as it's features go. It's basic search includes a keyword search as well as a time limiter, you can also search by relevance and by date. It has an advanced search and expert search that gets a little messy with all the truncations and plural signs. I used the basic search and found just what i was looking for. I did a pediatric oncology search and and found a little over 10,000 articles which was a little overwhelming but it did do tha job. There are tabs at the top of the page that will search for articles, books, and resources. You can do interlibrary loans right from the database, and even search the Swosu database for articles that we hold in our library. ArticleFirst has a folder and account system that works very well and it also keeps track of your previous searches. You can aslo email and export articles which is a nice feature. I think this database is a little confusing and and it takes a little bit of time really sifting through it it figure out exactly how to seach and ise the features. All in all though it works pretty well.

Biography Reference Center

Today I researched the Biography Reference Center Database. I was really impressed by how easy this data base is to use. Basically all a patron does is type in a person of intrest then hit search and that persons biography comes up. I searched Cheif Roman Nose, and it brought up his biography. If I were writing a paper about him this database would be very helpful. It gives information about his physical appearance as well as a time sketch of his life and the big events that took place during his life time. It gives geological information as well, describing places he settled and so on. This database, like many others, offers a folder system. On the home page it has a featured biography section. Each biography gives you citations and the source that the biography came from. It isn't the most exciting database I have visited but it definately does the job!

Zoological Record

Tonight my research project was the ISI Web of Knowledge Zoological Rocord Database. The more data bases I research the more simularities I see between most of them. This on like many others has a very effective avanced search. There are many limiters a patron can add to his or her search which makes for very particular search results. You can limit the search by species or by the type of resource you might be looking for, like books, articles, chapters, and meeting papers. You can search by author, title, year, and subject area. This database also allows you to export articles to endnote. One thing I thought was super neat was the language limiter. You can limit your search results to only show results in a specific language. This site does not seem as high tech and savvy as some I have seen in the past but it does the job. It isn't really fun and it doesn't get me excited about aminal records, but if someone needed the information, it would do the job.

Hoovers & History Resource Center

This blog post will cover two databases that I researched, beacuse I did not have time to make this post last night. The first database I looked in to is Hoovers Business database. This data base is really easy to use, and presents users with tons of helpful information. I searched the company that my dad works for and it brought up the business, background information, key people like the chairman and founders, locations, and the link to the companies website. You can not only search companies but peoples names as well. I did a search for Bill Gates and it brought up his bio, business address, and business phone number as well as links to businesses he is involved in. The site also has a folder option where you can store previous searches or information that you might want to refer back to in the future. I am not at all interested in business but I can deffinitely see how this database would be helpful to business majors!

The other database I researched for this blog post is History Resource Center: US. This database is really neat beacause it has so many search options. You can search an event in history or a person, and it brings up tons of results. I did a search on the Boston Tea Party and the first option it gave me listed important people involved in The Boston Tea Party, it gave a summary of events, as well as a futher reading list and a source citation. This database also has that tabs at the top that let you chose the type of source given, like biographies, news, maps, reference, and so on. This site also has a dictionary tab, that will define whatever word you type in. You can do a subject search, a person search, or a chronological search. The database even keeps track of your previous searches. This database is very user friendly, and could be very helpful.

Pop Culture Universe

Tonight I reseached the Pop Culture Universe Database. This is a really fun data base. It not only has a really cool look to it but the way it works is really neat. It is visually interesting as well as very user friendly. You can search by decade by persons name and by subject, even by place like Europe, Asia, or Hollywood. Some subjects you can search include food and drinks, fashion, sports, films and religion. When you click these links they will take you to articles about that topic then you can limit your search by year, people and place. It is nice becuase it can be a general or specific as you want which would really come in handy when a student is searching for topics to write a paper about. The database will even bring up entire books that include an index at the side where you can search different topics that are covered in the book. There is a decade search that will bring up any decade you chose from the present to the 1920's. It then gives you an overview of the decade and links to other things you would ever want to know about that decade, like what was happening in politics, what were the latest fashion trends, and what song was at the top of the charts. It is a really interesting site that it full of excitment and fun information.

Drug Information Portal

Tonight I researched the Drug Information Portal database. This data base is really amazing. I was shocked at how easy it is to use. I know very little about medications and I still could utilize the data base with out any problem. It is neat because you can enter a specific drug name into the search bar or you can search an entire category of drugs like histamines. Search results bring up the drug, what it does, information about clinical trials, manufacturing information, effects of the drug, and even references used in scientific journals. You can even view the drugs that have been searched the most in the last week. There are links that will take you to breaking news from the FDA and some that will give you refrences to medical and drug literature. There are even link that you can click that will show you the chemical make up of the drug. There is a link that translates prescription names into everyday terms, it really helps when navigating threw all the drug names. It even has a featured drug page where it features a drug and gives you the run down on all the facts about that drug for the week. This data base is really amazing, and super easy to use. Kinda makes me wanna be a pharmasist :)

Project Muse.

This is my first blog...how exciting!!! Today I spent the better part of an hour browsing through Project Muse. I was suprised by how user friendly this data-base is. Project Muse provides access to SO many journals, and then sub links on different topics that a user might be interested in. I did a search on french fashion. The data-base brought up many different articles and then had little sub-topics I could click on. From one search, after clicking on interesting sub-topics, I ended up reading an article about Avant-Garde Architecture. I thought it was really neat, and super easy to use. I also liked the options that drop down beside each search. I could type in a key word then I could limit the data base to looking for articles with that word in the title or search authors that had that word in their name and so on. That was really handy. One thing I thought was really awesome was the language option. There are over twenty-five languages you can chose from. Project Muse is really useful, and I am sure I haven't even seen the half of it.