Finding a Magazine Article for a College Writing Project
Just about anyone can find a magazine article but we think college students find them better! By this stage of your college work it becomes important to recognize how you find an article. A vital aspect of your search will be how, after being presented with a stack of articles that have a range of content, you manage to select and focus on one. It's important to concern yourself with the criteria for selection and then be able to articulate the reasons behind your choice.
With experience comes confidence. Today's activity gives us the opportunity to apply some information seeking and using skills. By the end of this workshop session you will better:
- Know what you need in terms of information and your assignment and be able to describe what you're looking for to someone else.
- Be able to retrieve information online using a subscription database and in person using a standard paper index
- Approach information use in more efficient and effective ways
- Set the foundation for integrating the information you find to deliver a finished product for your instructor
- Understand why you need to cite the information you use and know how to follow a citation format
Paper or Electronic?
Using the paper index called the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature and electronic databases: EBSCOhost and InfoTrac Web
What is the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature?
The Readers' Guide indexes magazine and journal articles on a variety of current topics of general interest. It focuses on popular magazines rather than academic journals. In addition to indexing periodical articles, the Readers' Guide contains a book review index, citing reviews of various general interest books.
How do I use the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature?
The best way to begin is by noticing the dates covered in the index being considered, familiarize yourself with the list of magazine titles included in the index, and locate the page designed by the publisher to detail what the abbreviations and placement of details means in terms of recognizing the author, title and other information in the citations.
Notice that the Readers' Guide has a subject and author arrangement. If you look under a heading the index doesn't use, a "see" reference gives the preferred heading. Occasionally "see also" references will lead to related topics.
Where, in the BHCC Library, is the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature?
The Readers' Guide is located at the Index Table near the Reference Desk.
BHCC Library Periodical Holdings List
When using the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, it is helpful to use the Periodical Holdings List Remember--the BHCC library does not subscribe to every title that is indexed in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. Recognizing the titles that the library keeps on hand as you identify citations of interest in the index will save you from searching for things that the library does not own.
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature: ONLINE VERSION
If you are absolutely addicted to online resources there is an option available to you. The BHCC library has a focus workshop session for people who want to try their hands at First Search. You'll need to attend the workshop to obtain the login and password combination to plan ahead. The electronic version of Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature is available through the online service FirstSearch. FirstSearch allows you to explore a 1-3 databases at a time. Since we are interested in one database you can access Readers' Guide by choosing the option "Search a Database" and then selecting "ReadersGuideAbs". Once you are in the Readers' Guide database you can enter your terms to perform a search on your topic.
What is EBSCO?
EBSCOhost offers immediate access to a variety of full-text databases which cover over 1,500 journals in searchable full text, abstracts and indexing for nearly 3,800 journals, and current citations for over 11,000 titles. With indicative abstracts that have an average length of 60 words, and completely searchable full text, EBSCO host provides researchers with the information they need quickly and easily.
Where, in the BHCC Library, is EBSCO?
The electronic databases are available from on and off campus but it's best to try the electronic resources in the library first. Work the bugs out of experience of using computers to access and process information with informed people on hand to lend assistance. If you encounter problems or have questions about the subtleties of how a database works a librarian is a good person to ask for help.
The Path to EBSCO
In the Library
Library PC's with icons on their desktops to represent the different databases offered. Look for the icon labeled EBSCO and use the mouse to click on it twice.
You can use Ebsco on or off campus
If you are on campus, go to the following web address:
- Go to http://search.epnet.com/cpidlogin.asp?custid=noble&ip=yes&profile=web
- From off-campus:
- Go to http://proxy16.noblenet.org/login?url=http://search.epnet.com/login.asp?custid=bhc&ip=yes&profile=web
You'll be promted to enter a login and password combination. Enter your 14-digit ID number from the back of your BHCC ID card and your last name.
Once you're in the EBSCO database...
Start by placing a checkmark next to the database(s) that appear to be the most relevant to your search. The default is set to search only the Academic Search Elite index since it Provides full text for 1,320 journals covering the social sciences, humanities, general science, multi-cultural studies, education, and much more. After selecting a database, click the ENTER button. You will then move to the main search screen. Click in the rectangular entry box, type a keyword, and click the SUBMIT button to begin your search.
Your options are many in the EBSCO database. You can do keyword searching, limit or expand you search using options on the entry screen or by selecting advance search and leave the database to link to sites on the world wide web that have been identified and sorted by the people at EBSCO to offer you ready reliable sources beyond the immediate scope of the database. To investigate these options further, take a look at the tutorial in the online help options, click on the content relevant search tips link, and try a subject search to better appreciate the assitance available by using the database wordlist to pose your requests to the database.
When using EBSCOhost don't forget to check "Sources of Citation" information in the EBSCO online HELP section.
InfoTrac
What is InfoTrac?
InfoTrac Web is an online subscription service that offers access to ten databases that range in coverage from general topics to specific subjects such as business and health care to literary criticism. InfoTrac provides article citations and abstracts as well as full-text from magazines, newspapers, and journals.
Where can you find InfoTrac in the BHCC Library?
InfoTrac Web is available from the BHCC Library, on the BHCC campus, and off campus locations.
In the Library
To access Infotrac Web use the same Library PC's that you can access EBSCOhost from and find the InfoTrac icon on the desktop of one of these PC's. Double click on the icon to open InfoTrac Web.
On the BHCC campus
Click on http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/mlin_b_bunkhcc
From a computer connected to the Internet and running a browser but not on the campus:
Click on http://proxy16.noblenet.org/login?url=http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/mlin_b_bunkhcc and enter the 14 digit ID number from the back of your BHCC ID card.
Once you've opened InfoTrac...
Select from the ten databases the one that is most appropriate for your topic. Once in a database you have options that include "Keyword", and a Subject Guide as a search method which provides sub-divisions of topics. You may find the Subject Guide useful to you if you are looking to expand your search or clarify your search terms.
Once you select an InfoTrac database click on the "Subject Guide" then type your search terms in the "Entry Box" window and press the "Search" button or press the Enter button on your PC keyboard to begin your search. Notice what sub-divisions are provided and how the sub-divisions of your topic are listed--these will link you further into your subject. After exploring the Subject Guide you may also want to try to search the same or a different database in InfoTrac by using the Keyword option.
If you find a full-text article that you would like for your research take a look at the Help Index option "Retrieving Articles" to see what formats are available in getting your article.
Let's look for news related material in a subscription database called Facts on File
To get there, go to the following web address:
From on-campus:
From off-campus:
http://proxy16.noblenet.org/login?url=http://www.2facts.com/
As always, before using any online search tool, pause for a moment to consider the tool you're using. Where did it come from, who is offering the information and for what purposes, how does the search tool work, and other basic information evaluation questions that will serve you and your task at hand. First, click on click on the question mark that signifies the help feature of the site. Look for search tips unique to this information provider, details about the company providing the databases and specifics about how to cite information taken from this source. for example, you'll want to pay particular attention to the fact that this database uses " Stop Words " that could interfer with search techniquesthat are otherwsie very effective when using other search tools.
Not everything you'll use will be found in a subscription service or formally selected resource
A few search engines useful for this topic are:
Here are a few sites that would help on a search if smoking is the topic
- Hot Topics
- WWW Virtual Library
- Digital Librarian
- The Journal of the American Medical Association
- The Tobacco BBS(Electronic Bulletin Board System)
- Tobacco Archives at the University of California San Francisco.
For another source on writing an annotation you may want to take a look at Writing Annotations from the University of Toledo online Library Guide.
Use this online dicitonary and thesaurus to check vocabulary that you are not familiar with Merriam-Webster
If you need to cite your source(s) you can refer to your handbook, Keys for Writers and you can also use the interactive MLA site NoodleBib to create citations.