How Do I Use a Data Base?

1. Read the descriptions on the other side and choose a database that matches your needs.

2. Go to http://learningcenter.mentorschools.org or http://www.mentorhigh.com and click on the link to the Mentor High School Learning Center.

3. Follow the links to the data bases provided on the left of the library’s web site, or go to http://www.infohio.org.

4. Enter the username infohio and the password search when login in from home.

5. Search for your subject using key subject words. If you need help with subject words, check out the links already provided within the database. Some of these will link you directly to the type of information you need. If you’re in the library take a look at the book Successful Key Word Searching that is available at the Student Reference Desk.

6. When searching, narrow your results by using advanced searching techniques.

a. Check the full text box to make sure to get the whole article.

b. Make sure you’re doing your key word search on the subject line of the search engine and not on the author or title line.

c. Use quotes to search for exact phrases, like “cancer cells”. Without quotes, some databases will return all articles with the word “cancer” or the word “cells.” Instead of quotes, you can also improve your search by using “+” or “and”, like cancer+cells.

d. Excluding words can help too. If you want to find historic information on pirates, use “not” or the minus symbol. For example: pirates not movie not Caribbean

e. You can also use combinations of tools to search. Like: pirates+history-movie-Pittsburg

7. Always check the article length and do a “print preview” before printing. You can save paper by adjusting printer settings. Use the pull down File and choose Print. Then click the Preferences Button. Choose Features and change the pages per sheet. If the print is huge, change it to 4 pages per sheet, if a normal, readable font-size, choose 2 pages per sheet. Hit OK and print.

If you don’t have this option and the article is more than six pages. Skim it over and print only the pages you need.