This document provides instruction on how to effectively search databases to find articles on a given topic. It explains that keyword searches should use essential concepts like verbs and nouns rather than full sentences. An exercise demonstrates how incorporating synonyms and using Boolean operators like "AND" between concepts and "OR" between synonyms retrieves more relevant results than a single keyword search. The document concludes by recommending several academic databases for finding newspaper, magazine, and scholarly journal articles.

1. ENG 102Session 2:Finding Articles

4. DETERMINING ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS Essential concepts Usually verbs or nouns They describe your topic Topic : How can social networking sites help people find jobs? What are the ESEENTIAL CONCEPTSin this topic??????

6. It is put between the essential concepts in the search

7. Ex: social networking AND jobs

9. EXERCISE 1 How many articles would you retrieve? Which ones? Which ones would not be retrieved? Why wouldn’t they be retrieved?

10. What’s the Point? What is the point of doing this exercise?

11. BOTTOM LINE There are many words in the English language to describe the same/similar concept We limited ourselves too much by not incorporating synonyms into the search

12. BRAINSTORMING SYNONYMS Synonyms/related terms for social networking: Synonyms/related terms for job:

13. OR Another command you give to the database It is put between synonyms EX: job OR employment It tells the database to look for articles in which either of the words appear

14. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Formula for search statement: (all synonyms for key concept 1 with OR in between each) AND (all synonyms for key concept 2 with OR in between each)

15. OUR SEARCH STATEMENT

16. EXERCISE 2 Look at the article abstracts and determine how many we would retrieve now with our new search statement. How many?

17. Using article databases When you want to find newspaper, magazine, or journal articles on a topic use an article database These are specialized search engines available thru the SCC library website These search engines are not available freely thru the web (i.e. by googling) Databases vs. Googling

18. Suggested databases Academic Search Premier Academic One File National Newspapers Opposing Viewpoints

19. Off Campus Login

20. FINDING NEWSPAPER ARTICLES Use a newspaper specific database National Newspapers OR Use Academic Search Premier or Opposing Viewpoints w/ the newspaper limit.

21. FINDING MAGAZINE ARTICLES Use Academic Search Premier or Opposing Viewpoints with the magazine limit.

22. FINDING SCHOLARY JOURNAL ARTICLES Use Academic Search Premier with the “scholarly (peer reviewed) journals limit Use Academic One File with the “limit to peer reviewed publications” Use Opposing Viewpoints with the “academic journals” limit