Databases are organized collections of journals, reports, magazines, and other sources. Searching one gets you a list of search results, where each link takes you to a record that corresponds to a particular article. These records list the article's author(s), title, and other information needed for citations. The records often include an abstract, subject headings, and other information about the article which can help you determine how relevant it is to your research.
Many databases give different options to conduct your search. Most databases provide a list or thesaurus with definitions of their subject headings. Searching by subject can be a specific way to find targeted results within a specific research area. If you do not know the subject terms to use, you can use keyword searching. Keyword searching is where you use any words you can think of that best describe your topic. As keyword searching can be broader, you may receive more results. To get the best search results, you may want to use both methods.
The NYU Law Library subscribes to many legal databases that include scholarly articles, books, videos, and more that are not freely available online. A good place to start is often the A - Z database list.
Looking for more resources, including multi-disciplinary resources? Check the NYU Libraries List of Databases.
These pages list suggested databases based on subject.
Ask a Librarian for suggestions on databases.