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Two periodical databases (Available through NC Live) that are commonly used for finding journal articles are accessed via EBSCOhost (browse resources by vendor from NC Live main page):
MasterFILE Premier- This multidisciplinary database provides full text for nearly 2,000 general reference publications with full text information dating as far back as 1975. Covering virtually every subject area of general interest, MasterFILE Premier also includes more than 360 full text reference books, 84,074 biographies, 86,135 primary source documents, and an Image Collection of 107,135 photos, maps and flags. This database is updated daily via EBSCOhost.
Academic Search Premier – The world’s largest academic multi-disciplinary database, Academic Search Premier provides full text for nearly 4,700 publications, including full text for more than 3,600 peer-reviewed journals. PDF backfiles to 1975 or further are available for well over one hundred journals, and searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 titles. This database is updated on a daily basis via EBSCOhost.
Newspapers:
There are several newspaper databases available through NC Live (browse resources by type from the NC Live main page and select newspapers):
America's Newspapers via Newsbank: Selected North Carolina and National newspapers
Newspaper Source via EBSCOhost: Selected full-text for many National and International newspapers
Proquest Newspapers via Proquest Company: Full-text articles from five leading National newspapers
Regional Business News via EBSCOhost: Business journals and newspapers covering metropolitan and rural areas within the U.S.
Search Strategies:
The following example, using the topic of Kate Chopin and critical essays on The Awakening, illustrates a search strategy for finding articles:
- First list the various subjects and key terms that describe your topic (i.e. Kate Chopin; The Awakening; criticism; critical essays, etc.).
- Using these terms and any other synonyms or topics that come to mind, search the two periodical databases listed above.
Example of one search strategy:
Results from this search strategy (9 full-text articles):
You have now identified 9 full-text articles on a particular subject from one periodical database. You will need to search other periodical indexes for additional resources and then determine which articles will be useful for your research. Be sure to note the following information that is needed for citing your sources:
- author
- title
- source (journal title, volume, issue date, and number of pages)
To determine if a certain article is relevant to your topic you might want to consider the following criteria:
- type of periodical
- is it an article from a scholarly journal or popular magazine?
if a newspaper article is it from a reputable source?
- how long is the article?
- is the article credible? (authority, quality, objectivity, currency, etc.)
- see Tips for Evaluating Resources for additional information.
Finally, make sure that you use an appropriate bibliographic style to properly cite your sources. The OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue University provides excellent information on conducting research, evaluating resources, and citing sources.