Scholarly Databases Versus Website

What is the difference between a scholarly database and a website? How do you know if a website is credible?

This week in the discussion threads we will look at scholarly sources. This TD addresses the following Course Outcome:

C02: Integrate application of professional values, service, and accountability when planning for personal, intellectual, and professional development.

As a foundation to our discussion, I want to point out that there is a difference between a portal and a database. A portal is a pathway to a collection of holdings. EBSCO and OVID are merely portals to whatever collections they might hold.  A database is the specific holdings that meet common criteria. For example, MEDLINE is a database of medical literature, while CINAHL is a database of nursing and allied health literature. Similarly, the Cochrane Library is a database of quantitative evidence, while the Joanna Briggs Institute offers a database that includes qualitative evidence. Be sure to cite the sources that you use to demonstrate support for your position.