Global Search
UMass Global Library Staff
Global Search
What is Global Search?
Global Search is a discovery tool that provides access to a wide range of content by allowing you to search through many of the library’s individual databases and the eBook catalog all at once. Use Global Search when you are looking for eBooks, are new to the research process, are seeking inspiration to narrow a broad research question, or when you need a multi-subject research tool.
This page will help you understand more about what Global Search is and how it works.
- How Does Global Search Work?
- Global Search vs. Individual Databases
- Which Databases Are Included in Global Search?
The UMass Global Library subscribes to nearly 100 individual databases. You can see the titles of all these individual databases on the the Databases List. In general, an individual database may contain secondary source articles related to a specific subject, such as education, business, nursing, or psychology; or a database may contain items of a certain type of information, such as news, streaming video, primary documents, images, data, or government reports. Each database may contain hundreds, thousands, or millions of individual items in the form of articles, books, reports, files, images, etc.
Global Search - a tool also known generically as a federated search or discovery service - works by allowing you to search approximately one-third of the library's databases all at one time, rather than searching those individual database separately. Using Global Search thus allows you to search for research material in multiple subject areas and formats with one search.
Global Search vs. Individual Databases
When beginning your research, you have two choices in how to approach the work - research in individual databases or use Global Search. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Use the criteria below to choose the method that is right for you at each stage of your research. Your method will likely change for different courses and projects, and at different stages of each project. Make your decision based on which category the most important criteria fall into.
| Use Global Search when... | Use individual databases when... |
|---|---|
| You are new to the research process. | You are an experienced researcher. |
| You haven't studied the topic in depth or at all and need ideas about what keywords to use. | You have been studying the topic for a while and are familiar with the professional terminology associated with it. |
| You are exploring ideas for a topic. | Your topic is fixed and unlikely to change significantly. |
| You are in the early stages of your inquiry and your research topic is broad/vague or your question is still open and flexible. | Your research question is refined and meets the criteria for a thesis statement. |
| Your topic is multi-disciplinary or you want to make comparisons between some elements of your topic. | Your topic is discipline-specific and unlikely to cross into other subject areas. |
| Using an individual database produces too few results. | Using Global Search produces too many results. |
| You are looking for a specific eBook to check out and know at least the title and author. | You don't need a specific eBook. |
| Relevant databases are included in Global Search. | Relevant databases are not included in Global Search. |
What Databases are Included in Global Search?
Not all of the library's databases are included in Global Search, so it is important for you to check at several points during your research process that you are accessing all the databases that could cover your topic. Follow these steps to see if a database is included in Global Search.
- Go to the library's Databases List.
- Change the All Database Types menu to Global Search Enabled.
