Libraries and Learning Skills
Databases provide access to collections of information such as books, journals, encyclopedias, etc. Some databases provide information in full [text] whilst others will only give the reference and an abstract.
You will need to use them when you research. When you search for information via the main search box, you are searching across multiple databases. If you find that the number of documents retrieved is overwhelming, or not relevant, you may find it easier to search individual databases.
The advantage of using databases (rather than Google or Google Scholar) when researching is that you can be assured that the information you retrieve is from a reliable source.
There are two ways to search, you can either:
The advantage of the latter is that your search results will be manageable and relevant.