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Primo and the Library's Databases
- Primo, the Library's discovery tool, searches most of the Library's databases at once
- advantages:
- it covers a very broad scope of literature
- sometimes it is easier to search using Primo's search interface compared to an individual database's search interface
- some article records provide sources cited by and sources cited information
- disadvantages:
- more difficult to fine tune searches as different databases searched by Primo have different indexing systems
- has fewer refining, limiting, options
- individual databases
- advantages:
- easier to fine tune searches as it has its own indexing system
- they usually have more options to refine, and limit, searches
- including ones more specific to the discipline
- sometime it is easier to search using a single database's search interface compared to Primo's search interface
- some databases provide sources cited by and sources cited information
- disadvantages:
- covers smaller areas of literature compared to Primo
- sometimes the search interface may be more difficult to use compared to Primo
- consider:
- research topics may be interdisciplinary
- does the database include "in press" results for the most current research and emerging science
and to also:
- search more than one database