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ENGL 1312 - Lopez: Articles and Databases

Get Background Information

The Credo Reference database is a resource you can use to gather background information on your topic.  It is a collection
of more than 1,500 reference books that can help you locate quick facts and general information.  These books can be
particularly useful to identify terminology, statistics, people, events, timelines, and additional resources.

Finding a Topic to Write About

Use this database if you are trying to decide on a topic.

TOPICsearch

Databases - Academic Search Complete

Use a database to locate articles, both popular and scholarly, on your topic.  The library subscribes to more than 200
databases; click the Databases & Journals tab in the Search Collections box on the library's web page to see an A-Z list of
databases and a subject arrangement of databases.
          13,000 publications and contains the text of 9,000+ publications.  It also links out to other full-text databases.
Academic Search Complete
Limit Your Results

Database Tutorials

Databases such as Academic Search Complete are known as EBSCOhost databases.  EBSCO and EBSCOhost mean nothing
on their own - they refer to the vendor and/or platform.  This video tutorial provides a quick overview of advanced searching 
techniques for EBSCOhost databases.
CQ Researcher is a database that provides quality reports on political and social issues.  Each report usually provides an
overview, a description of the current situation/event, a history, a chronology, pro/con viewpoints, and a resources list.

Other Useful Databases

Journals/Magazines (aka Periodicals, Serials)

The library subscribes to more than 70,000 periodicals and most are in an electronic format, accessible through our databases or
directly through the A-Z List of Journals found under the Databases & Journals tab in our Search Collections box.

Using the Open Internet as a Resource

Some internet resources may be appropriate for university-level work.  Federal, state, and local governments publish reports,
public records, statistics, etc. on their Web sites, and this type of information can be very useful for your papers and
presentations.  Check with your instructor before incorporating information from Web pages into your work; some instructors
have stringent guidelines.

Unacceptable Resources

Some resources are considered unacceptable in a university environment:
  • Wikipedia - articles are crowdsourced; anyone can create an account and make changes to entries
  • General print/electronic encyclopedias - World Book, Encyclopedia Britannica, Funk & Wagnall's
If you have questions about research resources, check with your instructor.
Staff LADR