VIDEO VERSION:

To learn about searching the Library Databases, we recommend watching the following short VIDEO with SOUND narration.  (If you are in the Rosen Library, headphones are available for checkout at the front desk.) 

Or, if you prefer, or are unable to watch the video with sound, you can read through the TEXT version below instead.
 

TEXT VERSION:

Basic Search from the Homepage

To find databases that are typically most useful for the study of hospitality, start at the Rosen Library homepage and then click on the Databases tab.

1 Search by subject to find databases grouped by area of study.  For this example we'll choose Hospitality in order to locate the best databases for hospitality and related fields.

2 Search by database name.

Searching for articles on hotel managers' approach to training

Advanced Search Tips

• Wildcard: In most databases, an asterisk (*) will allow you to search for variations of a word. Place the asterisk where you want the variation to begin. For example, manag* will search for manage, manager, managing, management, etc.
   
  
• Boolean search operators: Use these connecting words to link your keywords, as follows:
  
  • AND narrows your search by requiring all terms connected with an AND to be in the article. For example, hotel AND lodging will only return results that mention both terms.
    
    
  • OR broadens your search by returning results that mention either keyword. For example, hotel OR lodging will return results that mention either term.
    
    
  • NOT narrows your search by specifying that a term not be present. For example, hotel NOT lodging will return results that mention hotel and do not mention lodging.
     
• Grouping similar concepts: Connect synonyms on the same line with the word ‘OR’

 

• Phrases: To find an exact phrase, use "quotation marks." For example, you may want to look for articles about the "hospitality industry" (as a phrase), not articles that just happen to mention both words somewhere in the text.
   

Refining Your Results

You may refine your search to get more precise results. Most databases allow you to refine your results by "peer reviewed," "publication date," "full text," and many other advanced options. Limiting your results to only "full text" articles is usually not recommended, as this will eliminate many potentially helpful articles that may be available in other databases, in the library's print collection, or through Interlibrary Loan. For this example, we will refine our search by applying the options "Peer Reviewed" and a "Publication Date" of 2006-2011.

Hospitality information may be found in both "trade" and "peer reviewed" publications, but each type has different purposes and uses. Your professor may require you to use certain types depending on the assignment. See the Scholarly, Trade, or Popular? guide for more information.

After your initial search, you can refine your result by applying some of the options discussed above. If you need assistance refining your results with advanced search options, ask a librarian for help.

When searching in a database. . .
Don't forget to use a variety of keywords and concepts, as explained earlier in the Overview section of this tutorial.
 

The results of a search in a database will provide you with vital information for each item:

1 Refine your results: Choose options to limit your results. "Show More" provides further refining options.

2 Citation: Displays the title, author, date, etc. Click on the hyperlink to go to the full record for the item.

3 Full text link: Click here to read the full text of the article.

4 Get Full Text Link: Click here to see other options for retrieving the text of the article, as follows:

• If this article is available in one or more databases, links to the database(s) will be listed under "Options for Getting the Text."


• If this article is not available in another database, a link to the UCF catalog will provided so you can see if a print version is available.


• If the article text is not available in another database, nor in print form in the library, you may request a copy of the article through Interlibrary Loan. For further help with Interlibrary Loan, please see the Interlibrary Loan Rosen Research Guide, or Ask a Rosen Librarian.

The above section focused on using databases to locate articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers. But there are also special databases for finding information on hospitality companies -- information such as company histories, financials, products, and annual reports. Some useful databases for company research include:

• Hoovers Online: Offers information about 40,000 public and private companies worldwide, with links to company homepages and annual reports, charts, competitors, earnings, financials, etc.
• IbisWorld - Industry Market Research: Provides research on over 700 industries, including statistics, analysis and forecasts.
• Lexis-Nexis Academic: Searching under the Companies tab, you can find a company's financial health, brands and competitors, as well as compare companies or create company lists.
• MarketLine Business Information Center: Presents market reports for international companies, industries and countries, as well as a SWOT analysis section in the U.S. company profiles.
• Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage: On-line access to Standard & Poor’s independent research, data and commentary on stocks, bonds, funds, and industries.

For a more detailed overview of how to find company information, see the Rosen Research Guide titled Finding Company Information.

You can use also use databases to find articles from citations, whether they are assigned course readings or citations you found while doing research. To find detailed instructions for doing so, please see the research guide Finding Full Text from Citations.

You may wish to practice searching in the Hospitality & Tourism Complete database or in one of the hospitality-related databases before continuing the tutorial. For more help using the databases, please Ask a Rosen Librarian.