Database of the Month: In Context series from Gale

The Bentley University Library recently acquired access to a number of databases from Gale Cengage Learning as part of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) statewide database licensing program.  Included in the collection are five titles from Gale’s “In Context” series of electronic resources:

• Biography in Context
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context
• Science in Context
• U.S. History in Context
• World History in Context

One of the main features of the In Context series is what Gale refers to as “Media-rich content”, including images, audio, video, Google maps and interactive resources that enhance student ability to evaluate and apply information.  Traditional, aggregated databases provide users with indexing and articles from a range of sources.  In Context provides this same content but with these added Web 2.0 features.  The history collections in the series allow users to search primary source materials, a valuable tool for all researchers, and all In Context collections include academic journals and reference sources.  The Science in Context collection allows users to search for statistics, graphic and tabular information, and experiments. For those who are interested in providing links to full-text articles, videos, audio files, other In Context content Gale is now offering improved Infomark functionality that allows users to copy, bookmark, or email a persistent URL of nearly every page — giving them the ability to create and share reading lists, bibliographies, content management systems (such as Blackboard) and more. This past February In the Know featured the Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context collection as our “Database of the Month”.  To learn more about that database or to see any of our recent “Database of the Month” posts please click here.

Connect to the In Context Databases

Visit our Databases A-Z or Databases by Subject pages to access the In Context databases. ——————————————— Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please Ask a Librarian. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.