Using the Databases
Once you have identified a topic to explore further, you can do so by search our library databases or other Databases. You can select a database from the list below or choose one from an alphabetical list of the library databases.
When you search a database, you have to use succinct, descriptive terms that describe what you're looking for, rather than a Google-like search. For example, if you enter the search phrase "how does stand-your-ground lawsrelate to the Trayvon Martin case" into the Academic Search Premier database you'll receive the following message: "Your initial search query did not yield any results." When you break your search into smaller terms, the result is different, as shown below. The search terms have been highlighted in yellow.
Your search returned 74 results. Those resources appeared in a vareity of different publications including newspapers, popular magazines and academic (scholalry) journals. If you wish, you can use the options on the left-hand side of the page to limit your search in a vareity of different ways such as type of publication or publication date.
Once you have selected a particular article, information contained in the citation can lead you to additional sources. The image below shows a citation for an article dealing with the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case that appeared in the journal Dissent. The citation's abstract will provide you with a brief synopisis of the article.
Once you've found an article that is useful in your research, the database also has tools to help you find similar other relevant resources. One of the most effective ways to run a productive search is to identify the subject terms related to your topic. Subject terms are part of the controlled vocabulary used by the database. The image below highlights the subject terms related to the Dissent article.
With that information you can now craft more precise searches using the language of the database.
Moving Beyond the Catalog: Searching Databases
Which database should you use?
During your examination of monsters in popular culture, you'll be asked to find articles in library databases. MacPhaidin Library subscribes to dozens of databases. Below we've listed those we believe will be most useful for this class.
Academic One File - A source for popular and peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources
Academic Search Premier - A scholarly, multi-disciplinary full text database containing full text for nearly 4,650 serials
Expanded Academic ASAP - Journal articles on: Astronomy, Religion, Law, History, Psychology, Humanities, Current Events, Sociology, Communication and the General Sciences. Covers 1980 to the present
Project Muse - Provides access to nearly 250 scholarly journals. Covers the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, economics, and many others
SocIndex - A sociology research database with abstracts for more than 620 "core" coverage journals dating back to 1895.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
