How to Search LINCC Databases
Helpful PHSC Library Links
PHSC LINCC Access Tutorial
Navigating Databases
Searching Databases
Searching Multiple Databases Simultaneously
Determining What Journals Are Available Electronically
Searching for a Specific Journal Article
PHSC Database Tutorial
The Library Internet Network for Community Colleges (LINCC) is a research tool provided by the State of Florida. LINCC gives access to many online resources such as electronic databases (a collection of data organized in a way to find specific information in the contents – may be created either in hard copy or electronic) and e-journals. The LINCC system is an online central information system.
For the most part, LINCC electronic databases consist of electronic versions of newspapers, magazines, and journals that were originally published in hard-copy version. Those newspapers, magazines, and journals are collected in databases delivered through subscription services.
LINCC also includes online encyclopedias such as Science Resource Center and a number of online only resources.
Databases such as AmericasNewspapers and Academic Search Complete are made available through subscription services such as EBSCO and Gale. EBSCO and Gale are not databases. LINCC itself is not a database. It is a system that provides access to databases and more.
Some databases collect articles from various publications. America’sNewspapers has articles from various newspapers around the country. Once you have selected a source it is important to understand exactly what you are looking at. There is a list of databases along with the subscription service in parentheses that provides them in the LINCC system to help you see the difference. When you click into LINCC, you will see either a listing of the databases by Subject or Alphabetical. There is a tab on the top if you don’t see the Alphabetical listing. That list shows how the subscription services EBSCO and Gale provide many of the databases.
When you are doing your Works Cited or other bibliography if using a different style such as APA, you will need to know the author, title of the article, name of the magazine, newspaper, or journal it was originally printed in, the publication information as required for a particular type of sources, the database, and your date of access. Remember that the service that provides the database is not the database. EBSCO and Gale, for examples, are not databases. LINCC is not a database.
ALL PHSC students are subscribed to the excellent research tool. There is a direct link from within myPHSC. From the Modules page, click Electronic Resources Library on the left sidebar.
Working with the LINCC databases can be difficult until you get used to it. The different subscription services have different search engines. It is important to see how the Search page is organized to properly filter for your prospective sources. Become familiar with the organization of LINCC. The Subject list is good place to start to search all databases that might have information on your topic. The multi-database search does not search all databases.
Look carefully to see what information is asked for on the page. Use the little arrows to scroll for choices where indicated.
Be sure to check Full Text where available. Not all databases have the full text of the article.
Be sure to limit the dates of sources to get the most recent information when appropriate. Information on some topics could easily be outdated very quickly.
Keywords may be different in different databases. Be sure to using limitations an specifics where possible. For example, a search for the keyword Atlantis could result in sources on the resort and the movie in addition to the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis. A better keyword might be Plato’s Atlantis or Lost Continent of Atlantis. While some search systems anticipate a range of possibilities, others require some trial and error searching.
Use of quotation marks tells the search engine to find both words together. For example, a search of the keywords Egyptian mummies could yield source for mummies from South America and elsewhere, but “Egyptian mummies” should give results only for mummies that are Egyptian.
Remember that a Boolean search could be helpful. Boolean words are AND, OR, NOT. Note that they are capitalized. Some search engines will automatically insert the Boolean AND when there are two keywords entered, but sometimes you could try to include on your own. If you wanted information on all mummies except Egyptian mummies, you could search mummies NOT Egyptian.
Filtering is critical to find sources both in LINCC and in any Internet Research.
Remember that the LINCC system is set up so that you can search by specific database listed alphabetically or by category in the Subject list.