A multidisciplinary or general database is one which covers a wide range of topics across multiple academic disciplines. You may want to use a multidisciplinary database if your topic is cross-disciplinary, or if you are not yet sure of the subject area into which your topic falls.
Web of Science: Large multidisciplinary database offering citation linking and citation counts.
Scopus: Large multidisciplinary science and social sciences database that is capable of backward and forward citation linking and includes citation counts.
A subject-specific database focuses on a single discipline (e.g., Dietetics) or a group of related disciplines (e.g., Life Sciences, Health Sciences, & Medicine) and usually provide comprehensive coverage of that specific field. Using a subject-specific database is ideal if you know a particular subject area is appropriate for your search topic.
CAB Abstracts: Coverage includes agriculture, environment, veterinary sciences, plant sciences, mycology and parasitology, food science, human health and nutrition. Offers extensive coverage of journal and nonjournal literature from around the world including annual reports, general reports, books, conference proceedings, and field notes.
FOODnetBASE: Contains full text of reference materials published by CRC Press on the topics of: nutrition, food safety, regulations, quality assurance, packaging, biotechnology and product development.
FSTA Direct: Provides access to citations and abstracts dealing with all human food commodities and food processing (except for the production of raw food). Topics covered include microbiology, toxicology and hygiene, economics and statistics, engineering, packaging, and many food products. FSTA indexes articles, patents, standards, books, conference proceedings, research reports, dissertations, and legislation. Coverage from 1969 to the present.
ScienceDirect: Contains abstracts, tables of contents, and full text of articles in the physical sciences and engineering, life sciences, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities.
SciFinder: SciFinder is the most comprehensive database for coverage of chemistry & chemical engineering. It has the world's largest collection of organic and inorganic substance information. Sources covered in SciFinder include 10,000 journals, patents from 61 patent authorities, book chapters, conference proceedings, dissertations, evaluated reference works, technical reports, as well as book reviews and biographical information. Note: You must create a (free) account to use this database.
McGill Libraries • Questions? Ask us!
Privacy notice