Step 1b: Researching the Academic Databases
Almost every college subscribes to a list of academic databases where more specialized, scholarly essays can be found. To find these databases at AUC, go to the AUC Library Homepage and choose Electronic Resources, and then survey the 80+ academic databases that AUC subscribes to. Each of these databases specializes in different information. For a writing class exploring general research topics, you could try the four indexes are probably the most useful:
- Academic Search Premier.
- CQ Researcher.
- JSTOR.
- LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe.
(Note that at AUC, in order to search the databases from your home, you will need to request a dial-in account so that you can dial in directly to the AUC server. Otherwise, you must use a campus computer lab to access these databases.)
Academic Search Premier:
Academic Search Premier, one of a handful of databases on EBSCO Host, is probably the most popular student database (and the most costly for schools). On the search query screen on Academic Search Premier, you can control the kind of hits your search retrieves.
On the Advanced Search tab, you can also search for keywords within a specific publication. This would be helpful if you knew a good journal or magazine, but were unsure of when it published an article on the topic.
CQ Researcher:
CQ Researcher is a bit different than other journals, in that every two weeks a new issue dedicated solely to one hot, current issue is published. One or two researchers produce all the content, and the articles are mainly informational and journalistic rather than argumentative. An issue of CQ Researcher will give readers an overview of the issue, offer pro/con debates, present a history, list a bibliography of sources, and so on. CQ Researcher's bibliography is an excellent source for finding more sources -- you can plug some of the titles into other academic databases or even the Internet itself and often find the source. (Note: Because CQ Researcher is single-authored, you should be careful that you do not quote too much from it.)
To cite a source from CQ Researcher, click on the nifty CiteNow! link on the top toolbar of the article and select MLA style.
JSTOR
A more academic journal, JSTOR has its articles stored as .pdf files. These .pdf files can sometimes be large (1-2 megs) and therefore take a long time to download. However, all articles within the JSTOR database are quality academic articles, some perhaps beyond the scope of what you're looking for. To read a .pdf file, you must have Adobe Acrobat reader, which you can download for free if your computer doesn't already have it. Before you search on JSTOR, you have to first select which journals you want to search.
The most common complaint students have about JSTOR is
that the essays are too long and difficult to read. In fact, reading from JSTOR in contrast to the Internet will give you a good feel for the difference between academic and non-academic sources. However, when you use a source from JSTOR in your essay, despite the difficulty perhaps in processing it, your essay will be much more credible and scholarly. Of course be sure that you do understand and follow up with commentary any passage you quote.
LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe:
If you're looking for news articles, LEXIS-NEXIS is the database to search. Keep in mind, though, that news articles aren't usually scholarly articles; they mostly give current information about topics -- not much analyses or argument. However, some of the longer feature articles on LEXIS-NEXIS may be more scholarly. A newspaper article will also often briefly allude to a more substantial source or study, which you can then easily search for, knowing the particular title or keyword phrases.
The LEXIS-NEXIS database seems to contain almost every newspaper in the world -- hence, specifying the search queries to get the returns you want can be a bit more complicated than usual. First, select guided Guided News Search (rather than the "Quick News Search" tab). Choosing "Guided News Search" will yield much better results than simply typing in general keywords into the "Quick News Search."
In the Guided News Search tab, follow the four steps for making a more specific selection.
Troubleshooting
If you're having trouble finding information on one database, try another. Mix up your keywords or use different ones. If you get too many hits, try searching with more specific keywords. If you don't get enough hits, search with a broader keywords, or even just one keyword.
Finally, remember that you are not limited to these four databases. There are dozens of others that the library subscribes to.
- Academic Search Premier.
- CQ Researcher.
- JSTOR.
- LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe.
(Note that at AUC, in order to search the databases from your home, you will need to request a dial-in account so that you can dial in directly to the AUC server. Otherwise, you must use a campus computer lab to access these databases.)
Academic Search Premier:
Academic Search Premier, one of a handful of databases on EBSCO Host, is probably the most popular student database (and the most costly for schools). On the search query screen on Academic Search Premier, you can control the kind of hits your search retrieves.
On the Advanced Search tab, you can also search for keywords within a specific publication. This would be helpful if you knew a good journal or magazine, but were unsure of when it published an article on the topic.
CQ Researcher:
CQ Researcher is a bit different than other journals, in that every two weeks a new issue dedicated solely to one hot, current issue is published. One or two researchers produce all the content, and the articles are mainly informational and journalistic rather than argumentative. An issue of CQ Researcher will give readers an overview of the issue, offer pro/con debates, present a history, list a bibliography of sources, and so on. CQ Researcher's bibliography is an excellent source for finding more sources -- you can plug some of the titles into other academic databases or even the Internet itself and often find the source. (Note: Because CQ Researcher is single-authored, you should be careful that you do not quote too much from it.)
To cite a source from CQ Researcher, click on the nifty CiteNow! link on the top toolbar of the article and select MLA style.
JSTOR
A more academic journal, JSTOR has its articles stored as .pdf files. These .pdf files can sometimes be large (1-2 megs) and therefore take a long time to download. However, all articles within the JSTOR database are quality academic articles, some perhaps beyond the scope of what you're looking for. To read a .pdf file, you must have Adobe Acrobat reader, which you can download for free if your computer doesn't already have it. Before you search on JSTOR, you have to first select which journals you want to search.
The most common complaint students have about JSTOR is
that the essays are too long and difficult to read. In fact, reading from JSTOR in contrast to the Internet will give you a good feel for the difference between academic and non-academic sources. However, when you use a source from JSTOR in your essay, despite the difficulty perhaps in processing it, your essay will be much more credible and scholarly. Of course be sure that you do understand and follow up with commentary any passage you quote.
LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe:
If you're looking for news articles, LEXIS-NEXIS is the database to search. Keep in mind, though, that news articles aren't usually scholarly articles; they mostly give current information about topics -- not much analyses or argument. However, some of the longer feature articles on LEXIS-NEXIS may be more scholarly. A newspaper article will also often briefly allude to a more substantial source or study, which you can then easily search for, knowing the particular title or keyword phrases.
The LEXIS-NEXIS database seems to contain almost every newspaper in the world -- hence, specifying the search queries to get the returns you want can be a bit more complicated than usual. First, select guided Guided News Search (rather than the "Quick News Search" tab). Choosing "Guided News Search" will yield much better results than simply typing in general keywords into the "Quick News Search."
In the Guided News Search tab, follow the four steps for making a more specific selection.
Troubleshooting
If you're having trouble finding information on one database, try another. Mix up your keywords or use different ones. If you get too many hits, try searching with more specific keywords. If you don't get enough hits, search with a broader keywords, or even just one keyword.
Finally, remember that you are not limited to these four databases. There are dozens of others that the library subscribes to.
