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Ferris State University FLITE Library

Dental Hygiene Research Guide: Finding Articles

Learn about library resources / information sources for dental hygiene.

Why Bother with Library Databases?

Picture of piece of paper that says Why? 

  1. Most of what you find on Google isn't scholarly.
  2. When you do find something scholarly on Google, the site often asks you to pay for it.
  3. You should never have to pay for content.  That's what the library is for!

Image credit: Everson, B. (2012). Why? [photo]. CC. Image link.

Help - How do I get the Full Text?

Only finding an abstract or citation for an article when searching within databases?  No worries, just look for the following linking options when you're in a database:

  • Ferris FullText
  • Ferris Full Text
  • Access options
  • Get full text

Below are screenshots of the full text linking options you may encounter:

Ferris Full Text: Expect this option in many databases, including PubMed and databases from the vendor Gale. 

Ferris FullText link screenshot

Screenshot from a Gale database showing the Ferris Full Text link:

Screenshot showing Ferris Full Text in Gale Databases

Access options: Expect to see this in EBSCO databases. Expand the Access options pull-down menu to see full text linking options, as shown in the screenshot below.

Screenshot showing Access options pull-down menu for full text linking

Get full text: Expect to see this in ProQuest databases, as depicted in the screenshot below.

Screenshot of Get Full Text from within a ProQuest database

What is a Database

Image of thought bubble that says Databases

What is a database?? A database is "A collection of information organized in such a way that a computer program can quickly select desired pieces of data. You can think of a database as an electronic filing system" (University of Toledo Computer Science and Engineering Glossary, nd.).

So, if you want to find information on a certain topic, you can do a keyword search to find the related "files", or in this case, most likely articles.

You likely use databases all of the time, such as Google, or online shopping websites, but don't even realize that a database is what you're using.

The Databases by Major option is a quick route to find databases for your research!

More about CINAHL and PubMed

  • Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene
  • Community Dental Health
  • International Journal of Dental Hygiene
  • Journal of Dental Hygiene
  • Journal of the American Dental Association
  • and more......
  • Advances in Dental Research
  • International Dental Journal
  • International Journal of Dental Hygiene
  • Journal of Dental Hygiene
  • Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice
  • Journal of the Canadian Dental Association
  • Journal of the American Dental Association
  • Journal of Dentistry
  • Oral Health & Dental Management
  • and more.......

Top Pick Databases to Find Articles

More about Gale PowerSearch and Health & Wellness (Gale)

  • Journals (including: Australian Dental Journal, Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene, European Journal of Dental Education, International Dental Journal, Managed Dental Care, Journal of Dental Hygiene, and more.....)
  • Magazines, including trade magazines
  • Books
  • Newspapers
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Book and Fact Sheets: great overviews and background information, as well as patient-oriented information
  • Journals and Magazines
  • Drugs & Herbal Remedies
  • Pamphlets
  • Videos
  • News