A Data Mining Algorithm for Accessing Research Literature in Electronic Databases

Abstract

Searching and retrieving relevant research materials from electronic databases are difficult for many students and early career researchers. Many researchers have abandoned beneficial research projects because they believe that related literature is unavailable to ground their work. This chapter serves as a guide to students, professionals, and internet users on how to pull information from electronic databases easily. The chapter begins by clarifying the concept of electronic databases, the evolution of electronic databases, and the processes involved in indexing scholarly works in an electronic database. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of electronic databases are also discussed. The chapter describes how electronic database search works, with insights into some poor practices. The concept of Boolean operators and how they can be used to easily mine desired contents from electronic databases are discussed. The knowledge and use of Boolean operators might become unavoidable in enabling researchers to locate relevant materials for their projects.