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How to search: Gale databases

This guide will show you how to search in the different Unisa Library resources to find relevant information for your research needs

Request a Literature Search

Need sources for your literature review? Struggling to find sources for your assignment, research proposal or thesis?

The Library can assist with a literature search, which is a systematic and comprehensive search for published, academic material on your specific subject/topic. How do you request one? Simply go to Request a literature search .

If you are experiencing problems accessing the form, please use this link

Gale Powersearch (searching all Gale databases)

Using Powersearch

Gale's Powersearch is the platform to search across the Gale database.

There are Three Basic Search Options on the Homepage:

By Subject: Use to search for topics such as academic disciplines, companies, events, laws, geographic locations, organizations, people, etc.

By Keyword: Lets you search on significant fields in documents, including titles, introductory text, authors, and subject terms.

By Entire Document: Looks for any word or words within the entire text of all documents in the database(s) you are searching, as well as in the fields of information included in the Keyword search.

You can also browse:

Browse Subjects: Browse listings of subjects, people, products, locations and organizations then select a term and see a list of results, or navigate through the Subject Guide by selecting subdivision and related subjects links.

Browse Publications: Use to browse and view the contents of a specific publication.

Advanced Search: Select an index and combine search terms and limiters for the most precise searches.

One Search: Cross-searches the Gale products to which your library subscribes (including the PowerSearch databases you have selected from the Database Menu), and if enabled by your library, any available third-party databases from other publishers, and select public free and fee-based websites. One Search maps your results into a graphical display arranged into categories.