Does HOLLIS search inside Harvard Library databases?

It is a common assumption that if you search HOLLIS, you are searching everything the library has access to. But HOLLIS does not search inside our databases. 

What's actually happening

"Catalog & Articles" searches the library catalog plus an "Articles" index. The “Articles” index is from a third-party vendor, who compiles citations from an extensive network of publishers. These citations only partially overlap with the contents of our databases.

Why it matters

How much this matters to you will depend heavily on the type of search you want to do as well as the field or discipline you’re working in.

You will find citations in HOLLIS that look like they came from one of our databases (such as JSTOR, Web of Science, etc.). Some of these citations are provided to HOLLIS by the database vendors themselves. Most, however, come from publishers. There are usually small but important differences between the citation as it appears in HOLLIS and a database’s citation for the same item. Basic information such as title and author will be largely the same. The more additional detail you’re interested in, such as abstract, subject terms, or other key descriptors, the more differences you’ll notice.

Some databases provide HOLLIS with a full export of their contents. It can still be a good idea to search these databases’ own interfaces. The database will be structured differently and may offer advantages not available in HOLLIS, such as more precise or customizable search options and links to full text or datasets.

Have another HOLLIS question? Our HOLLIS User Guide provides an overview of HOLLIS's features and functions.