The article database you should use depends upon your topic.

Multi-Subject Article Databases

Is your topic:

• general or cross-disciplinary?
• currently in the news?

If so, start with one of the multi-subject article databases. These cover a wide range of subjects and often index a mixture of popular and scholarly sources. These databases are often a good place to begin research. Examples of multi-subject article databases and the kinds of articles they identify are:

• Academic Search Premier: Indexes scholarly publications in a number of disciplines.
• CPI.Q: Indexes over 400 Canadian and international publications.

Subject-Specific Databases

Is your topic in a particular subject area?

If so, use a subject-specific database. Subject-specific databases specialize in a particular subject, and the articles indexed are generally from scholarly sources. Examples of subject-specific databases and the kinds of articles they identify are:

• Historical Abstracts: Indexes articles in world history from 1450 to the present.
• CINAHL: Indexes articles related to nursing and allied health.