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ENG 110 Sec. B01, B02 & 17 (for Donnelly) Fall 2025

College Writing I

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