Searching Databases
In most databases you can do a search for your topic by keyword to find articles, using AND, OR, or NOT to connect your terms and concepts.
- Write out your topic in a sentence or phrase (make sure you're topic is specific enough)
- Break it into the important concepts
- Be sure to think of as many synonyms or alternate terms as you can
- Connect your concepts with AND and your similar terms with OR (use not to exclude common meanings you don't want)
Most databases let you use a symbol (*) to indicate words that begin with certain letters (at least three) and have any ending. Therefore, effect* will get you effect and effects. Check the Search Tips or Help to find out what the symbol (usually called a truncation or wildcard symbol) is called in your database.
When you find an article in a database look at the subject headings, keywords, and descriptors that the database uses to classify any articles specifically about that topic and you can use these to re-search by subject to narrow your search.
You can then choose whether you want scholarly, peer-reviewed articles or articles from popular magazine or newspapers in the tabs at the top.
Learn more about popular and scholarly articles here: What's the difference between popular and scholarly articles?
On this page scroll past the sections; Initial appraisal, Content analysis and Evaluating Web resources to get to the section on Distinguishing scholarly from non-scholarly periodicals (articles and papers).
Finding Full-Text Articles not in the Database
You want the full text of articles, right? There are several ways to find them and it depends on what you are looking for.
If you have citations for specific articles: use the Library Catalog to see if we subscribe to the journals that contain the articles. Do a Journal Title search (or a Journal Title Abbreviation search if you're not sure of the full title). The Catalog will show whether or not we have access to the electronic version and/or the print version; if we have neither, you can still request the articles via Interlibrary Loan.
Finding Newspaper Articles
- Google NewsGoogle News aggregates news published online directly—BBC, CNN, NYTimes, Washington Post, Bloomberg, WSJ, ABC News, Politico, Reuters, some magazines some online versions emanating from newspaper publishers. Excellent for breaking news stories, also for graphics and video content
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis)An interdisciplinary, full-text database of over 18,000 sources including newspapers, journals, wire services, newsletters, company reports and SEC filings, case law, government documents, transcripts of broadcasts, and selected reference works. Formerly LexisNexis Academic.
- Access World NewsAccess World News from NewsBank provides full-text information and perspectives from over 600 U.S. and over 700 international sources, each with its own distinctive focus offering diverse viewpoints on local, regional and world issues. Date coverage varies with individual newspaper.
- PressDisplay.comLibrary PressDisplay provides online access to over 700 newspapers from more than 55 countries, displayed in their original format and accessible by country, language, or title.
Finding Popular Articles
A number of databases (collections of articles) at the library will let you search thousands of news and magazine articles at once. The ones listed below are a few of the most popular.
- ProQuest Research LibraryProQuest Research Library, formerly known as Periodical Abstracts, is a comprehensive database available through the ProQuest online system. It indexes and abstracts general interest magazines and scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities and sciences. It comprises two components: a core list of periodicals covering about 800 publications, and 15 subject-specific modules that supplement the core list. Modules cover arts, business, children, education, general interest, health, humanities, international studies, law, military, multicultural studies, psychology, sciences, social sciences, and women's interests. Full text of many articles is provided.
- Academic Search PremierThis multi-disciplinary database provides full text for more than 8,500 journals, including full text for more than 4,600 peer-reviewed titles. PDF backfiles to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles.
- FactivaFull-text online service for international news and business information. Covers over 28,000 sources in 23 languages in more than 150 countries. Some company and market research is included. Factiva includes full-text coverage of the Wall Street Journal.