Online Databases for General Research

When writing papers for school, it’s always good to start your research online. Many academic journals publish their articles online—which can give you a head start on research prior to heading to your local library.

Here is a list of the top 10 online research databases for general research:

1. Academic Search Elite (EBSCO)
2. ABI/INFORM Complete (ProQuest)
3. CQ Researcher
4. Gale Virtual Reference Library
5. Oxford Reference Online Premium
6. LexisNexis Academic
7. College Source Online
8. Plunkett Research Online
9. Census Information
10. WorldCat (OCLC)

Unfortunately, many of these databases might require usernames and passwords to recieve full access to journal articles. To bypass this, you can often get a free trial for a limited period, or you can search these databases from your local library. Many library computers have automatic access to journal databases. You can also find other articles and resources at scholar.com and studenthacks.org. Please leave a comment below if you have any other recommendations for online databases.