Sources to get deeper

1. Sources to get deeper: databases

Databases

Databases encompass data that are homogeneous for content and format, accessible from remote servers, structured in such a way that you can retrieve them through specific search criteria. 

Databases can be:

• factual: when search produces direct access to the original and complete information, that is real definitive data. They can be:
• textual:  you can find full-text pdf of periodicals articles, that is electronical copies of articles 
• numerical: original data are expressed in diagrams, charts, chimical formulas and so forth
• mixed between the two previous forms
  

• bibliographical: the search produces bibliographical references, but you can find articles, laws, documents on other platforms. 
  

A particular kind of bibliographical databases are citational databases, which include citations and abstracts of articles, but above all, they provide information about the impact of a single publication or author, that is how much the journal or the author are noted within the scientific community.

We will see in detail databases later on.

2. Sources to get deeper: Specialized books

Specialized books

They are texts for in-depth analysis, generally adopted for research. They deal with one or more subjects in a detailed and specialized way. They provide a bibliography that can be useful as a starting point for further deepening. Thanks to indexes and summaries they are easy to consult. They can be both in print and electronical.

3. Sources to get deeper: scientific journals

Scientific journals

They publish articles produced by researchers and scholars who are specialized in a specific field of study. Generally articles are peer-reviewed, that is reviewed by researchers dealing with the same field of study of the author. They contain accurate information, more updated than books and encyclopedias and focused on specific themes. They can be in print and electronical. 

4. Sources to get deeper: graduation and doctoral theses

Graduation and doctoral theses

They are also specialized sources of information, dealing with specific disciplines and can be consulted according to specific policies.