There are two types of databases: general databases and subject databases.

General databases cover many subjects and often contain both popular and scholarly periodicals.

Sometimes general databases are used at the beginning of the research process because they help you narrow a topic. They are also used when your topic doesn't fit into a specific subject, or if you want information that isn't too technical.

Examples of general periodical databases are:

EBSCOhost Academic Search Elite	indexes articles from magazines and journals on a wide range of topics.
ProQuest Central	indexes articles from magazines and journals on a wide range of topics.