What is a database?
a usually large collection of data organized especially for rapid search and retrieval (as by a computer) : Princeton subscribes to over 2100 subject-specific databases that allow one to find citations and full-text to book and journal content (and lots of other kinds of material, published and unpublished).
Select the DATABASES tab on the library home page, and then All Subjects on the upper left. Select Art & Archaeology from the list. Additional electronic resources will be identified in other subject guides, e.g. Architecture, History, African Studies, Newspapers, Special Collections, etc.--as well as by typing in keywords in the database title and description in the Databases search box. Examples of the latter might be: archaeology, fashion, periodicals, urban, women, etc.
1. The Advanced Search will usually give you more options
2. Phrase searching: can put a phrase in quotes
3. Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT - connects two or more words to narrow or broaden a search, or to help clarify terms with multiple meanings (can be combined with phrase searching) [sometimes you have to type these in--in CAPS--and sometimes you will see them listed to connect subject terms (select AND, OR or NOT)]
4. Most databases we subscribe to that combine both scholarly and more popular sources allow one to limit to only scholarly, or peer-reviewed, or both types of resources
5. Most databases allow one to save results in a folder for future access, or to easily e-mail citations and/or full-text (e.g. a PDF) to oneself to consult later on. Just make sure to empty out the folder before leaving a database, or you will lose your saved items (unless you have created an account and logged in).
6. One can almost always limit by date and language (of the source)
7. Many databases includes abstracts or summaries of the books or journal articles so as to provide enough information, often, to know if it's worth it to read an item in its entirety online or go seek out in the library
8. Depending on the database, a range of material can be included: advertisements, book reviews, feature articles, book reviews, images, newspaper articles, dissertations, etc.
9. You may have to brainstorm a bit up front to determine all the possible ways your subject or key terms could be formulated both commonly and by the particular database/search engine you are using
