Research Guides: Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion: Research Databases

Off-Campus Access

For best results when accessing library resources when off-campus, you should first log into the MSU Virtual Private Network (VPN), which ITS provides. For more information, see https://servicedesk.msstate.edu/TDClient/KB/?CategoryID=80.

Find Books, Theses, and Dissertations

Books often provide a more systematic overview of a research topic than is usually found in articles. Theses and dissertations usually have helpful literature reviews that are more detailed than most articles.

MSU Libraries Online Catalog
- Searches the collections of MSU Libraries as well as other libraries in the area
- Books located in the Circulating Collection can be checked out.
- A tutorial on searching the catalog is available on YouTube.
WorldCat
- Provides access to the catalog records of libraries throughout the world.
- Books found on WorldCat that are not owned by the MSU Libraries can be requested through InterLibrary Loan.
- Access is limited to 5 simultaneous users.
Dissertations & Theses (Proquest)
- Database of theses and dissertations from throughout the US and some foreign institutions.
- Most theses and dissertations from 1997 (and some older ones) are available as PDF files.
- If full text text is not available, you may be able to get the document through Interlibrary Loan.
- For more relevant results, change search fields from Anywhere to “Anywhere Except Full Text”
- To search MSU's electronic theses and dissertations, search the MSU ETD Database.

Research Databases

The following databases contain useful information related to Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion.

You must be a current MSU faculty/staff member or student to access these resources.

Best Bets

Academic Search Complete
A multidisciplinary research database that indexes over 6,000 journals, magazines, and trade publications. Primary coverage back to the 1990s, but some content goes back much further.
CAB Abstracts
Provides extensive coverage of journals in agriculture, forest resources, veterinary medicine, and related sciences.
- This EBSCO version provides coverage back to 1990.
- Access is limited to 4 simultaneous users.
ERIC (Education Resource Information Center )
"ERIC provides unlimited access to more than 1.4 million bibliographic records of journal articles and other education-related materials, with hundreds of new records added multiple times per week." You can limit search results by education level such as Early Childhood Education, etc. Coverage back to 1960s.
Google Scholar
Indexes the websites of commercial publishers, governments, universities, and other organizations.
- Remember, for a good literature review, Google Scholar should be seen as a supplement rather than a substitute for other library databases.
- For the most effective access to the full text, be sure to read the Google Scholar Tips in this guide.
PsycINFO
The premier database for psychology and all related research. Coverage from the 1800s to the present.
PubMed
World's largest medical database, with records to articles back to the 1940s and coverage of topics such as animal physiology and veterinary medicine.
- Accessing PubMed through this link will allow you to view "Find It" links, which help you find the full text.
- The National Library of Medicine offers numerous PubMed tutorials.
- To search PubMed content using a different search interface, try Medline via EBSCO.
Scopus
This multidisciplinary database is "the world’s largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature."
- Over 70 million records of journal articles, conference papers, and more
- Good coverage of all areas of STEM, as well as scocial sciences, engineering, and business.
- Provides nearly 100% coverage of Medline and Compendex
- Offers sophisticated tools to track, analyze and visualize research

Other Databases

AGRICOLA
Indexes USDA publications, core journals in agricultural and related sciences, and items acquired by the National Agricultural Library (NAL) and cooperating institutions. Primary coverage is back to 1970, with some coverage back to the early 1900s.
Biological Abstracts
This database provides abstracts to journal articles covering all aspects of the life sciences, including the environmental sciences.
- This EBSCO version provides coverage back to 1990.
- Access is limited to 5 simultaneous users.
Business Source Complete
Provides abstracting and indexing for over a thousand journals and full text for nearly 4,000 journals covering business, management, economics, finance, banking, accounting, and much more. Coverage back to the 1920s and beyond.
Health Source - Nursing/Academic Edition
Provides nearly 550 scholarly full text journals, in addition to indexing/abstracting for an additional 850 journals. Coverage is especially strong for nursing and allied health.
SciFinder-n
The premier database for chemistry, materials science, and related sciences, providing access to thousands of journals, as well as conference proceedings and other items, back to the 1800s.
- First time users must click here to register before accessing the web version. This must be done on-campus or through the MSU's VPN.
- For more information on Scifinder-n, see this overview by CAS.
Discovery
This tool allows researchers to search across nearly all EBSCO databases and the library's online catalog through one search interface. Among these databases are the following. Note that CAB Abstracts is not included in Discovery.
- Agricola
- Biological Abstracts*
- Medline
- Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide
* Results from this database may not be included if limit on simultaneous users has been reached.

Finding Print Resources

Some of the relevant call number ranges for books include:

HD 9000 - HD 9490 -- Food industry

QP 141 - QP 185 -- Nutrition

RM 214-RM 258 -- Clinical nutrition

TX 341-TX 641 -- Food supply

Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion

Google Scholar Tips

Off-Campus Access

Find Books, Theses, and Dissertations

Research Databases

Finding Print Resources