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Article Databases
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- Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
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A 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) - Coronavirus Research Database (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowJournals, preprints, conference proceedings and dissertations provide comprehensive coverage of COVID-19 and other past coronavirus outbreaks, such as MERS and SARS, for context around the current global pandemic. Full-text content in the database is available either directly from ProQuest or via links to publisher sites.
- Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
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Full-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) - Health and Wellness (Gale) This link opens in a new window
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(Formerly Health & Wellness Resource Center) Key features include reference material, full text health and medical journals, pamphlets, videos, drug guides, recommended websites, and the Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary. Appropriate for both student and consumer use. (NVCC) - Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new windowDetailed reports on controversial issues in the news. (VCCS)
- Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
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Essays, magazines, journals, newspapers, statistics, primary sources; focus is on controversial issues. (VCCS) - ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window
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Magazines and journals. (NVCC)
Search Tips
Once you have your research question or research topic, what strategies should you use to get the most relevant results in the shortest amount of time? Let's say this is your thesis statement:
Social media promotes anxiety among teenagers.
First, identify the key concepts. These are the most important concepts in the statement. Typically these are nouns.
Social media promotes anxiety among teenagers.
Next, you want to identify related terms for each of the key concepts. Different authors may write about the same subjects using different terms, so cast a wide net and add lots of words to your list.
(Note: adding an asterisk* at the end of a word tells the database to look for expanded versions of that word; for example, teen* will automatically search for teen, teens, teenage, teenager, and teenagers.)
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Social media |
anxiety |
teenagers |
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Social networks |
stress fear worry |
young adult* adolescent* teen* |
To take it to the next level: Try "nesting" multiple key words within one search. For example:
("Social media" OR Facebook OR "Social network*") AND (anxiety OR stress) AND (teen* OR adolescent*)
This tells the database: Find me sources that have at least one of the terms representing each of my three key concepts.
Remember that research is an iterative process: What you learn during a search can inform your next search. Your initial ideas for a thesis statement may look very different from your final thesis statement, because of what you've learned during your research.