Selecting Resources to Search
Along with identifying concepts and related terms, it is important to identify the resources (e.g. databases, library catalogue, datasets, websites) to be searched. Information, evidence, is available through many different sources and comes in many different formats and is guided by a variety of disciplinary perspectives. The nature of the information found, will be informed by the characteristics of the source, the places looked, the intended audience, the traditions of knowledge sharing practiced, and the terminology (concepts, related terms) you enter. McMaster University Libraries subscribes to and provides access to variety of databases and other information tools across many disciplines
The topic of Wildfires lends itself to searching across multiple disciplinary lenses - biomedical, social sciences, business, interdisciplinary - as well as for data regarding rates or incidence of wildfires.
Below is a list of some of the many different databases and resources available to you through McMaster Libraries.
Interdisciplinary Databases
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Global Health This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1973-present
Online Usage Level: Three concurrent users
The only specialist bibliographic abstracting and indexing database dedicated to public health, completing the picture of international medical and health research by capturing key literature that is not covered by other databases.
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Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1976-(may vary by index)
Core Collection includes five multidisciplinary citation indexes covering arts, sciences, social sciences, and conference proceedings. It indexes references from 8,000+ journals and various document types like articles, reviews, letters, and editorials.
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Overton This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1920-present
Overton is the largest index of global policy documents, linking them to research, news, and think tank outputs. It helps authors track where their work is cited and how it influences real-world policy and practice.
BioMedical Databases
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MEDLINE This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1946-present
A comprehensive source of life sciences and biomedical bibliographic information. A free version of MEDLINE is offered through PUBMED.
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Embase This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1974-present
Biomedical database with coverage that encompasses more European and International content than Medline.
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CINAHL This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1981-presentCumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature. Professional literature of nursing, allied health, biomedicine, and healthcare.
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Emcare This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1995-present
Emcare is a global nursing and healthcare database covering nursing specialties, allied health, midwifery, psychiatry, emergency care, healthcare management, education, and both clinical and non-clinical fields.
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PsycINFO (Ovid) This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1806-present
Abstracts literature in psychology, medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, and linguistics from journals, books, reports, conferences, theses, and dissertations.
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AMED This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1985-present
Allied and Complimentary Medicine (AMED) is a database of journal articles in fields allied to medicine and alternatives to conventional medicine.
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Healthstar/Ovid Healthstar This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1966-present
Contains citations to the published literature on health services, technology, administration, and research. It focuses on both the clinical and non-clinical aspects of health care delivery.
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SPORTDiscus This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1800-present
Comprehensive database covering sport, fitness, and related fields. Includes journals, monographs, 22,000+ theses, and articles in 60 languages.
Online Usage Level: Eight concurrent users
Social Sciences & Humanities Databases
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Social Sciences Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Searchable abstracts from 518 English-language journals cover applied and theoretical social sciences, including sociology, law, psychology, and more. Over 750,000 articles are indexed, with 47,000+ new records added annually.
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Social Work Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1966-present
This database indexes 450+ social work and human services journals. Created by NASW, it offers citations and abstracts on theory, practice, service areas, and social issues.
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Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1952-present
A leading sociology database indexing 1,800+ global journals since 1952. Covers social sciences like anthropology, criminology, education, and urban studies. Includes abstracts of books, chapters, reviews, dissertations, and conference papers.
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ERIC This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1966-present
ERIC is a digital library of education resources, offering access to journal articles, reports, theses, and more. It includes RIE and CIJE indexes, with 107,000+ free full-text documents via the U.S. Dept. of Education at (http://www.eric.ed.gov/).
Geography & Engineering Databases
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GeoRef This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1669-present
Covers global literature in geology and earth sciences. Includes 2.3M+ references from 25,150+ sources journals, books, maps, conference papers, reports, and theses with abstracts.
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GEOBASE This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1980-present
Interdisciplinary database with 1.1M+ references to journal articles, books, and reports in geography, geology, ecology, and Third World studies. Covers 2,065+ sources and includes abstracts.
Business Databases
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EconLit This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1895-present
EconLit, by the American Economic Association, indexes economics literature journals, books, and dissertations. It includes abstracts for all records and full-text book reviews from the Journal of Economic Literature since 1993.
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Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1965-present, with some coverage dating back to 1886
The industry's most widely used business research database, Business Source Premier features full text and searchable cited references for top journals covering a variety of business disciplines.
Indigenous Studies Resources
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Informit Indigenous Collection This link opens in a new window
Coverage: 1977-present
To search subscribed content, select "Only show content I have full access to." The Informit Indigenous Collection features global, cutting-edge research on topical and historical Indigenous issues, fostering critical international dialogue.
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iPortalInterdisciplinary portal of digitized content pertaining to various topics associated with Indigenous Peoples and Communities of Turtle Island.
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Indigenous Health (featured collection) This link opens in a new window
The Indigenous Health Collection at the Health Sciences Library offers diverse resources on Indigenous well-being, including traditional knowledge, research methodologies, and literature for all ages. It highlights the impacts of colonialism and racism, emphasizes a wholistic view of health, and features works in over 10 Indigenous languages—preserving and amplifying Indigenous voices.
