Finding Articles
ENG 253 students may need articles from journals, magazines, or newspapers for an essay, to help answer to a discussion question, or for getting a better understanding of something in the course.
The databases listed below are good choices for a wide range of topics:
- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowA multi-disciplinary database which offers information in many areas of academic study. This database supports high-level research in the key areas of academic study by providing access to journals, periodicals, reports, books and more. (VIVA)
- Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowFull-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives. The database now also contains Ethnic NewsWatch: A History, which provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989. (NVCC)
Keep it Simple
The best searches use only the most important words and phrases from a research question (with the word AND in between, if you will use more than one word/phrase).
For example, if you're in the Proquest Research Library database and you want articles that analyze Barack Obama's 2007 "A More Perfect Union" campaign speech, you might type in a search like this:
Note that you can put a checkmark next to "Full Text," which means that you'll get only complete articles in your results list (as opposed to any that only have summaries or citations). Most databases have this option!
Once you find an article you like, look for options to print, download, or email. Many databases also have a citation tool that will automatically generate a citation for the article in your chosen format. Be sure to double-check the citation with a trusted MLA guide.