AND between words searches for BOTH words on document.
EX: immigration AND employment
Returns results with both words. Fewer, but better, results.
QUOTATION MARKS around a phrase searches for that exact phrase.
EX: “genetic engineering” "climate change" "no child left behind"
Returns results with that exact phrase.
ASTERISK (*) search looks for all the various words using the same root.
EX: comput* results in articles that have the words compute, computer, computing, etc.
educat* will search for educate, education, educator, educators, educating, etc.
OR between words searches for at least one of the words.
EX: fat OR obesity
Returns results with either word. Produces more results.
(Parentheses) group multiple search terms together.
EX: debt AND (teenagers OR adolescents)
Returns results for debt AND teenagers and for debt AND adolescents.
Simply put, a database is a collection of information, often organized by information type (for example, research articles or films) or subject (for example, psychology or music). Here at SBU, we have many different types of databases. Some of our databases are for streaming video or audio, some are for art images, and some are for literature. Some databases are free and open to the public ("open access"), and other databases require a subscription. For your WRT 102 class, you might be especially interested in using our subscription databases that provide access to peer-reviewed journal articles or newspaper articles. The below tutorials will help you understand the basics of how to use some of our most popular databases to find what you need for your research paper. To see a larger list of recommended databases without accompanying video tutorials, click on the "Find Articles" tab.
A large multidisciplinary EBSCO database that many WRT 102 students use to find high quality sources for their research papers.
Content of Academic Search Complete includes:
***Note, Academic Search Complete is one of over 60 EBSCO databases that University Libraries subscribes to. The other EBSCO databases look very similar, but index different content.
SLIDE: Where is the journal title, volume, issue, and page number information in an EBSCO record??
An immense multidisciplinary collection of articles, books, and primary sources.
Content of JSTOR includes:
VIDEO: A guide to using JSTOR (vendor provided video)
SLIDE: Where is the journal title, volume, issue, and page number information in a JSTOR record??
Access to five major national newspapers from the United States: New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal. The content including today's news is available by 8am each day and indexes content in each publication going back to the 1980s.
An immense collection of over 15,000 news, legal, and business sources. You will not find any peer-reviewed journal articles in Nexis Uni, but it can help you find newspaper articles from thousands of different newspapers from all over the world.
An online resource that cover's today's hottest social issues, from capital punishment to immigration to marijuana. The cross-curricular resource supports science, social studies, current events, and other subject areas. Offers content organized by information type and contains a mix of information from different views and perspectives.
VIDEOS: See all Opposing Viewpoints video tutorials here (vendor provided videos)
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