Abstract
Searching and retrieving relevant research materials from electronic databases are difficult for many students and early career researchers. Many researchers have abandoned beneficial research projects because they believe that related literature is unavailable to ground their work. This chapter serves as a guide to students, professionals, and internet users on how to pull information from electronic databases easily. The chapter begins by clarifying the concept of electronic databases, the evolution of electronic databases, and the processes involved in indexing scholarly works in an electronic database. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of electronic databases are also discussed. The chapter describes how electronic database search works, with insights into some poor practices. The concept of Boolean operators and how they can be used to easily mine desired contents from electronic databases are discussed. The knowledge and use of Boolean operators might become unavoidable in enabling researchers to locate relevant materials for their projects.
TopIntroduction
The research process includes problem ideation, conceptualisation, literature review, study design, data collection and analysis, and ultimately, disseminating results (in different formats) to publishing outlets. In this chapter, two of these processes are important – literature review and result dissemination. The literature review process entails searching for previously published content from different databases (traditional or electronic). Literature review presupposes that the material to be reviewed is already published or disseminated to the public domain. Therefore, a symbiotic relationship exists between literature review and research dissemination. This is because the review of research literature depends on previously disseminated works. Besides, a review of existing literature is required to offer future research directions and sustain dissemination practices.
The published research literature is often managed using physical or electronic databases, with each requiring different methods of assessing indexed contents. To locate research literature from traditional/physical databases, one must visit the library. After that, a catalogue is used to search for such information depending on the form of library classification. In other cases, individuals must go through different files and folders, searching for such information. However, information search and retrieval patterns work differently from the traditional system in electronic databases. This chapter is not aimed at comparing these systems but to discuss electronic databases, their evolution, advantages and disadvantages, the indexing processes and how indexed information can be assessed using a state-of-the-art approach. The emphasis of this chapter is on the Boolean operators due to their growing importance and utility in mining records from large databases or data warehouses. These operators allow for reducing or expanding the number of records returned. Boolean operators may save time by restricting the search scope and eliminating irrelevant results to users' needs.
Therefore, after reading this chapter, readers are expected to be able to: explain the meaning of electronic databases; discuss the evolution of electronic databases; define the term data mining; mention at least four advantages and disadvantages of electronic databases; describe electronic database search works; discuss the indexing processes of scholarly materials in an electronic database; make practical use of Boolean operators in retrieving literature materials from electronic databases.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Publications: This refers to the total amount of scholarly works in form of journal articles, theses, book chapters, books among others, that an author/researcher/scientist has contributed to the literature. It also refers to the total number of documents made publicly available by a publishing firm at any given time.
Operator: An operator is often a linkage or expression that converts items from one domain into elements from another.
Search String: A search string is a set of keywords carefully combined with Boolean operators or truncation symbols to improve the chances of individuals locating the desired digital record from an electronic database.
Information Search: This is the process of making conscious efforts to use systematic procedures in going through a large amount of information to locate those that are interesting.
Electronic Databases: An “Electronic Database” is a computer-maintained collection of data such as peer-reviewed journal papers, dissertation, books, and others, with searchable areas.
Research: Research refers to any work aimed towards increasing the body of existing knowledge, conducted in a methodical and innovative manner. It is also the process of gathering, organising, and analysing data to better understand a subject or situation.
Indexing: Indexing is the process of using index words or other symbols to identify, summarise, or otherwise improve the discoverability of a document's content.
Data Mining: Data mining is the process of seeking patterns in large databases and extracting relevant information using machine learning or algorithmic and database techniques.
Metadata: Metadata are records that explain other material, giving a systematic guide that aids in classifying and identifying the characteristics of the material it represents.
Literature: Literature refers to publications in fields such as the natural, behavioural, management, library, and social sciences or humanities that give new empirical or theoretical information for scientific progress or problem resolution.