English 305 : Library & Internet Resources Resources Overview | Periodical Indexes/Databases | Locating Periodicals | Books | Facts, Opinions & Statistics | Internet | Critically Evaluating Sources | Citing Your Sources | Avoiding Plagiarism

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Resources Overview

• Choosing the best resources to use for research involves several factors, including assignment requirements, currency of the research topic, and the depth of coverage needed.
• Periodicals (magazines, newspapers, trade publications, and scholarly or peer-reviewed journals) are excellent sources of current and/or specific information for research projects. Often, they are considered primary sources for research.
• Why not use Wikipedia? View this video (Flash) from the Rutgers University Libraries on why Wikipedia is not the best source to use for research assignments.

Periodical Indexes/Databases

• Periodical indexes or databases allow you to search for keywords to help you identify relevant articles. All of the databases listed below provide the full text for most of the articles they index.
• It's a good idea to formulate a search strategy before using a periodical database.
• Databases can be searched using Boolean Logic (AND, OR, NOT) and truncation/wildcards symbols (*, ?, etc.) to combine keywords and phrases to locate articles on specific topics.
• For a complete list of available databases, see Databases A-Z.
• FYI, you can also connect to the Library's databases and full-text periodicals from off campus
• Databases listed below that include this image allow you to limit search results to scholarly journal articles

Good Places to Start:

General Multi-Subject SimpleSearch

Allows you to search up to 10 Library periodical and reference resource databases using a common interface. Includes many databases that access scholarly journal articles, which will be indicated by in the results list.

Academic Search Elite (EBSCOHost)

Provides full text for nearly 1,850 periodicals, including more than 1,250 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to the full text, indexing and abstracts are provided for all 3,237 periodicals in the collection. This database offers information in nearly every area of academic study, including communication studies. Allows limiting search results to peer-reviewed scholarly journals.

Gale Power Search

Simultaneously access 11 Gale databases to locate magazine articles, academic journal articles, news, reference books, Web sites, and multimedia resources. Includes "Viewpoint" (pro/con) essays and topic overviews on controversial issues from Opposing Viewpoints in Context in the "books" results.

Also Recommended:

CQ Researcher

CQ Researcher full-text reports offer in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy. Each 12,000-word report is a unique work, investigated and written by a seasoned journalist, including sections on background and chronology; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources. Note: Since the reports are written by journalists, it is not considered a scholarly journal. Coverage is from 1991 to the present.

Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest)

Full text articles from more than 270 ethnic, minority and native press publications, including newspapers, magazines and journals, 1960 to present.

 

GenderWatch (ProQuest)

Contains unique and diverse publications that focus on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas. With archival material dating back to 1970, GenderWatch is a repository of an important historical perspective on the evolution of both the women's movement and major changes in gender roles.

Opposing Viewpoints In Context (Gale)

Search or browse controversial issues. Features "viewpoint articles" (pro/con arguments), topic overviews, full-text magazine, academic journal, and newspaper articles; primary source documents, statistics, images and podcasts, and links to web sites. Updated daily.

ProQuest Newspapers

Full text for 500+ U.S. and international news sources. Includes coverage of 150+ major U.S. newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune, plus hundreds of other news sources and news wires. Click the More Search Options link from the main search screen to reveal choices for limiting by Document Type, such as editorial, speech, and review.

Locating Periodicals

• How to Locate Articles Online or in the Library

Books & Media

Books and media may be searched in the Library Catalog by author, title, Library of Congress Subject Heading, or keyword. For books not held by the Oviatt Library, request an Interlibrary Loan, but allow about 2 weeks.

Facts, Opinions & Statistics

The following web sites can lead you to facts, opinions, statistics, and background information to support your research.

• American Factfinder (Population, housing, economic, and geographic data.)
• Credo Reference ("Online reference collection providing access to a selection of over 240 reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies and books of quotations.")
• Government Reference Sources (Full text government reference sources organized by broad topic, e.g., education, crime, population, etc.)
• Gale Virtual Reference Library (encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources)
• Government Publications on Social Issues
• Public Opinion Polls and Surveys
• Statistical Data Sources

Internet

In addition to the databases and Web sites listed above, the Internet can be a valuable source of information. However, remember to think critically about the authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage of the information you find, and check with your instructor to see if you can use the Internet as a resource. In addition to Google, consider using other search engines:

• Google Advanced - (allows Boolean logic and limiting results by domain, such as .org, .gov, etc.)
• Google Scholar - (searches scholarly journals and other academic sources--Click on link to "Scholar Preferences" and search "CSUN" in the "Library Links" box to access the Oviatt Library's catalog to help locate the full text if not immediately available in Google Scholar.)
• SearchEngineWatch - (comprehensive directory of search engines by type)

Critically Evaluating Sources

In addition to the information retrieved from library databases and the Web sites listed above, the free Internet can be a valuable source of information, too. However, as is the case with all resources you use, remember to think critically about the authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage of the information you find.

• Evaluating Sources (criteria used to critically evaluate information resources)

Citing Your Sources

• MLA, APA, & Other Citation Style Guides
• Citation Machine - (Provides an interactive tool to help create reference citations for research papers. Includes various print and electronic resources. Note web site disclaimer before using.)

Avoiding Plagiarism

• Why Cite? Avoiding Plagiarism

Prepared by Katherine Dabbour, Communication Studies Librarian