Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Parrish Library Database of the Week: AGRICOLA from the National Agricultural Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

March 21st, 2016

Welcome to Database of the Week, a feature from the Parrish Library. Each of these weekly snapshots will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This week’s database is AGRICOLA from the National Agricultural Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Link: http://guides.lib.purdue.edu/businessdatabases is the alphabetical list of the databases specially selected for those in a business program of study. Access the databases off-campus with your Purdue login and password.

Focus: AGRICOLA serves as the catalog and index to the collections of the National Agricultural Library, as well as a primary public source for worldwide access to agricultural information.

Search: AGRICOLA allows you to search using limits such as language, target audience, type of publication, and years of publication. It also offers a Full Text option; be aware that AGRICOLA offers few full test articles. Another useful feature of this database is that you can see your search history and combine searches.

Click here to see the basics of searching AGRICOLA or try our Guide on the Side with this link.

Why you should know this database: ARGICOLA covers materials in all formats and periods, including printed works from as far back as the 15^th century. Topics covered by this database include all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines such as animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, and forestry.

Why students should know this database: The AGRICOLA list of results shows an option to Find Similar for each title. The filters and tools provided by AGRICOLA simplify the search process making it easier for students to find what they need.

Cost: $2807.00 paid annually by the Purdue University Libraries.

Database of the Week comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact parrlib@purdue.edu.  Also let us know if you know of a colleague who would benefit from this weekly feature.

Since usage statistics are an important barometer when databases are up for renewal, tell us your favorite database, and we will gladly promote it. Send an email to parrlib@purdue.edu