CARSON-NEWMAN COLLEGE

Finding Articlesin a C-N Database

Databases(Remember the discussion about databases in the Unit 3 video? If not, go back for a quick review – you will need the information for this unit.)

You were told a bit about databases as you learned how to develop a search statement and use that search to find information in the C-N Library’s online databases.

In this unit you will learn how to conduct more in-depth and advanced searches in our databases to find periodical articles.

As you go through this unit and begin your research, keep in mind that choosing an appropriate database for your research can be just as important as having a good search statement. If you have questions about which databases are good for your topic, just ask a librarian!

PeriodicalsUnit 3 taught you that a database is essentially an electronic filing cabinet that stores periodical articles. But what are periodicals, anyway?

Periodicals are materials like magazines, newspapers, and journals that are published periodically (once a week, once a month, once a quarter, etc.).

For your research, you will rely on many articles from these periodicals. You will search for those articles in our databases.

Let’s take a look at the different types of periodicals…

• What it is…A scholarly journal is a collection of journal articles that are written by authorities in a professional or academic field to report their research or scholarly opinion of a topic. Often called peer reviewed because experts in the subject area review and evaluate the article before accepting it for publication.

• When to use it…- For doing most college research- For finding out what has been researched and

studied on your topic

Scholarly Journals

Magazines

• What it is…A magazine is a periodical written for the general public to inform and entertain. This is what you buy in the grocery store, etc. Often referred to as popular magazines.

• When to use it…– for information on popular culture and hot topics– for general articles on topics written for the public for

information or entertainment

Newspapers

• What it is…A newspaper is a collection of articles that are journalistic reporting of news events, current affairs and public issues. Newspapers are usually published daily.

Newspapers are in print, are often available on a newspaper’s website and may be full text in news databases such as Access World News.

• When to use it…- to find current news on local, national, and international events

- to find editorials, topics of interest, and popular opinions on issues- to find information for popular culture topics

How can you tell if an article is scholarly or popular?

Scholarly journals Popular magazines Signed articles written by experts in the field; usually gives author’s credentials

Written by staff or freelance writer; often unsigned

Concerned with academic research and reports of research; lengthy

Goal is to entertain or inform in a very general way

References and bibliography included No reference to where information was obtained

Usually technical language of the subject area Very simple language for general readers

Often has “journal” in title May have “journal” such as Ladies Home Journal, but not often

Sparsely illustrated with charts, diagrams, or appropriate photographs

In Print: Heavily illustrated with glossy covers and pictures

In Print: Contain few, if any, ads In Print: Usually contains a lot of ads

Examples: American Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Accountancy

Examples: Time, Sports Illustrated, Ebony, People Magazine

How do you find articles on a topic?

The most efficient way to find journal articles is to search the databases provided by the library. Remember, selecting the correct database can make a difference in finding the articles on your topic. Start by going to our Library homepage and following these instructions…

If you already know the name of the database

you want to search, click “Databases A-Z” for an

alphabetical listing of all our databases.

If you would like to find out which databases cover your

subject area, click “Databases by Subject” and find the topic

area of interest. All databases covering your topic

will be listed for you.

For example, if your professor instructs you to get a full-text article from JSTOR:

1. Go to Databases A-to-Z, click on “J” in the alphabetical list across of the page.

2. Click on JSTOR in the “J” list.

Use Databases A-to-Z when you know the title of the database that is appropriate for your topic.

Use Databases by Subject when you do not know which databases cover your topic or subject area.

In Databases by Subject, databases have been arranged by subject content and then put in a subject list.

For example, if your English professor instructs you to get a full-text biographical article on an author:

1. Click on Databases by Subject from the Library Homepage under Library Resources.

2. On the Databases by Subject page, click on:English.

On the “Databases – English” page:

You will find a list of databases that you use for English literary research. The databases listed below would be good places to start your research.

Biography Resource Center

JSTOR

Literature Resource CenterLiterature Online

Check out some of the other Databases by Subject lists: Multidisciplinary – general databases that cover many topics

CQ Electronic Library >> CQ Researcher Online – good for hot topics in the United States

Facts.com >> Issues & Controversies – good for hot topics in the United States Access World News (NewsBank)– full-text newspaper articles, popular news

magazines & world news Polling the nations – Opinion polls on many topics

Psychology – subject databases that cover psychological topics PsycINFO – the major database for psychology Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection – another important database

for psychological subjects

Think of a course you are taking…Check out the Database by Subject page for that topic.

Now that you’ve seen how to choose an appropriate database, let’s see how you can use your search statement to find in-depth research.

1. Write out your research question.

What are some effects of drug use by college students?

2. Select the keywords from your topic statement.Keywords: drug use, college students

3. Write out a search statement, using Boolean connectors.

Search statement: drug use AND college students

4. Read this tutorial on searching the General OneFile database…

Searching for articles in an online database: General OneFile

General OneFile is one of the most comprehensive databases that the C-N Library has. It has a wide variety of subjects and includes a large amount of

full-text articles. It holds a mix of scholarly journals, popular magazines, trade journals, and newspapers.

Basic search (Keyword Searching)

Keyword Search is always the

default selection.

Enter your search statement, using

Boolean operators if necessary.

You have several options for limiting your search results. Only choose full-

text as a last resort, as it can cause you to miss excellent articles.

What results did you get?

Your search statement is listed here.

Notice the different tabs: Magazines, Academic Journals, News, etc. – these

will be important in choosing appropriate sources. Also notice that

each tab shows the number of resources found for that type.

Your results are here. Notice the

first one is full-text.

What if your professor says you can only use “peer reviewed” sources? No problem. Just limit your search accordingly.

Enter your search statement…

This time, check the box beside “peer-reviewed publications.” This

means you will ONLY search for sources that are peer-reviewed.

What results did you get this time?

Take a look at how the numbers on these tabs have changed.

Academic Journals will provide the most sources when conducting a

peer-reviewed search.

What does a full-text article look like?

Related terms you can click on to begin

new searches

Options for printing, saving, and emailing

the article

Info you will need to cite this article

The actual text of the article is found below

the Abstract.

Browsing SubjectsClick the “Browse Subjects” link on the General OneFile homepage…

Choose only the main concept you are searching for… you

cannot use Boolean operators in a Subject search.

What you get…

Notice that the entry for Drug Use says “See Drug Abuse” – this means “drug use” is not used as a subject term, and

you should click on the related term instead.

What happens when you click on the term “Drug Abuse” -

Click the box beside your term to see a list of topic subdivisions

Click “Related Subjects” if you would like to see

other topics that may be of interest

The Subdivisions list looks like this…

Your topic, Drug Abuse, has been

broken down into sub-topics for easier

browsing.

These numbers let you know how many sources are found for each

sub-topic.

The Related Subjects list looks like this…

Browse these related subjects (called narrower terms) to see if

you find anything more relevant

than your original topic.

Again, you can view smaller groups of sources.

Problem: You found a great article in a database, but you cannot find a full-text option. How do you find the full-text of the article?

Answer: There are several ways.

First, let’s look at the “Check LinkSource” option…

If you see only “Abstract” or

“Citation” here…

…then click “Check LinkSource for

More Information”

The LinkSource page will open in a new window…

Use these links to search the Library Catalog for a

print copy of the journal…

…or to access an electronic copy of the article in another database (if available –

you may not always see other options below “Check Library Holdings”)

You could also try another option called the E-Journals List…

Go to the Library’s homepage and click

on the E-Journals List link…

Enter the name of the journal you are

searching for

Your search results will tell you if the journal is available in any of our

databases. This one is available through the JSTOR database.

Just click to enter the database and follow the

links to your article.

To look for a print copy of the journal, simply check the Library Catalog (remember Unit 4?)

Change the search type to “Title”

(because we know the title of the

journal)

Enter the name of the journal you are searching for and then click “go”…

Your results show that we have this journal in print.

If you use any ideas, words or phrases from the articles that you find, you have to cite them to avoid plagiarism!

Cite:• Direct quotations or paraphrases of another person’s

written or spoken words or phrases• Borrowed ideas, opinions, or theories• Statistics, drawings, graphs, or facts that are not common

knowledge• Any creative work whether written, musical, artistic,

computer generated, or web-based, etc.• Any author – whether a famous writer or another student

What information do you need to collect to cite a journal article?

A print journal article:Journal title Article title Author Volume and issue number of the journal/magazineDate of publicationPage numbers of the article & page numbers used

Full-text article in a database:Journal information as aboveDatabase Name (JSTOR in this example) Address of the site Date of access

Online journal: Journal information as aboveComplete URL (web address) of site of journal article Date that you accessed the site

How do you find the information on citation styles that you need to cite a journal?

1.Check your assignment or ask your professor what citation style you need to use.

2. Helpful resources for citing:• Writing at C-N, 5th ed., pp. 66-68, gives a list of preferences of

documentation styles by C-N Academic Departments.• Library Homepage Under Library Resources,

How do I? Cite Materials… - Writing at C-N , 5th ed. ( Under Citation Styles and Samples, Documentation Overview) - “Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism: Documentation Guidelines” (Duke University)

Select the documentation style you need from either of these sites.

After completing this unit, you should have learned:

• The types of periodicals and their description.• How to find the database you need for searching for journal

articles, especially Databases by Subject.• How to search the database General OneFile.• How to read a citation that is in a database.• How to determine if C-N has a journal title that you need.• Tips on avoiding plagiarism.• What information you need to collect to cite a journal article.• Where to find information on citation styles.

Now You Know…

Coming Up…

You have only one more unit to complete, and then you will take a Post-Test (cumulative quiz).

Coming Up:Unit 6: Using and Evaluating Web PagesUnit 7: Post-Test

Need help?Ask a Librarian!

The C-N Reference Librarians are here and happy to help with any questions you may have.

Call, Click, or Visit!

Ms. Kelli Williams 471-3338 kwilliams@cn.eduMrs. Lew Conerly 471-3340 econerly@cn.edu

Our offices are on the main floor of the Library.

http://library.cn.edu

And Don’t Forget…