EBSCOhost

Unlocking the Power of EBSCOhost: Your Ultimate Research Companion

By: Anthony Chen and Craig Okahara-Olsen

Are you on the hunt for a comprehensive database to support your research, whether it's tackling broad topics or diving deep into specifics? If you're seeking a user-friendly database that offers both an extensive resource pool and precise search parameters, look no further than EBSCOhost! Having spent considerable time using this database, we’ve come to appreciate its simplicity and, more recently, the sheer potency of its search strings. EBSCOhost, as a federated database, boasts several advantages, including the ability to simultaneously explore multiple databases for the most relevant information sources.

EBSCOhost offers an impressive array of primary and secondary materials, including an extensive collection of full-text articles from scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. These articles are accessible for research purposes, and for those seeking quick insights, abstracts are also available. The database houses electronic books (eBooks) on various subjects, conference papers, research papers, dissertations, theses, magazines, periodicals, research reports, working papers, newspaper articles, reference materials (dictionaries, encyclopedias), and multimedia content (videos, audio recordings, images).

To access EBSCOhost, affiliation with a subscribed university, such as the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH Manoa), is required. While the majority of EBSCOhost's databases are reserved for subscribers, there are a few free databases accessible to the public, including "Exploring Race in Society" and "GreenFILE." These free resources delve into crucial topics related to race and environmental impacts, respectively. Other free databases include "EBSCO Open Dissertations," "Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA)," "Teacher Reference Center," and "European Views of the Americas: 1493 to 1750."

To access EBSCOhost through your university's library website, follow these steps:

Step 1: Conduct a basic Google search to find your university's library website.

Step 2: Type "ebscohost" into the search bar. Note that using "ebsco" or "EBSCO" alone may not yield the desired results.

Step 3: Enter your university credentials.

Step 4: Select the databases you wish to search and proceed.

Upon logging into EBSCOhost, you'll discover a wealth of resources. With over 400 research databases, 2.4 million eBooks, and a vast array of educational materials, EBSCOhost is a treasure trove for researchers. It predominantly features reputable, peer-reviewed sources, trusted by librarians and professionals. This assurance of quality is invaluable for academic research, given that the database is pre-filtered by its owners.

What sets EBSCOhost apart is its highly customizable search functionality. Whether before or after searching, you can tailor your parameters to narrow down your results to the most relevant sources. While the sheer volume of resources and search options might appear overwhelming, the platform is remarkably intuitive. Should you need assistance, a help bar and an "ask-a-librarian" tab are readily available on the right side to offer tutorials and resources. Librarians are also well-versed in utilizing this accessible database and its tools.

Basic Search with Pre-Search Parameters:

• Four different search modes, including Boolean and SmartText searching.

• Ability to apply expanders (e.g., related words) and limiters (e.g., full text).

• Customizable search field for SmartText searching, even for large text chunks.

Advanced Search:

• Allows the creation of multiple Boolean operators with field entries for each.

• Filters for source types, publishers, languages, geography, categories, and databases.

• Sorting options by relevance, date (oldest/newest), and more.

• Page options for result format, image quick view, results per page, and page layout.

While EBSCOhost offers an incredible wealth of resources, it's worth noting that search results can sometimes be overwhelming due to their sheer volume. The website interface may feel a bit dated and sluggish, but the powerful tools and extensive database content compensate for this drawback. Once you become acquainted with EBSCOhost, you'll find it operates much like other popular databases, albeit with more extensive sources and refined parameters.

Moreover, EBSCOhost is widely adopted by universities, facilitating easy resource sharing among users. You can share permalinks, email links, download pages as PDFs, and more. The modern mobile application allows on-the-go searches, and creating a MyEBSCO account lets you save search items and preferences, as well as access your search history.

In essence, EBSCOhost excels in providing peer-reviewed academic resources tailored to your research needs. Its vast and well-organized library, coupled with user-friendly features, sets it apart as an essential tool for researchers. With millions of users already benefiting from its offerings, we invite you to join them on this research journey with EBSCOhost!