ENGL 1302 @ NLC Library

HANDOUTS

• Using Online Databases
• Developing a Search Strategy 
• Types of Periodicals

Activity:

Narrow your topic  (University of Washington Libraries Research 101)

    See *Electronic Databases for help with "topics"

Want books? Use:

ALAMO LIBRARY ONLINE CATALOG 

Want articles? Use:

ELECTRONIC DATABASES

Databases that cover a broad range of  topics:

• Academic Search Complete (Sample article: Child Reactions to Terrorism: Cautions and Next Steps for Research)
• Academic Onefile
• Opposing Viewpoints Center  *
• TOPICSearch *

Citing sources in MLA format:

• Citing Sources; (Handout)
• Writing Center U. of Wisconsin Madison 
• Scribe’s MLA Style Crib Sheet
• Duke University Libraries
• MLA Style Official Website
• OWL @ Purdue

SEARCH STRATEGIES

• Boolean - AND, OR, NOT
• Field searching - Subject, Author, Title
• Quotation marks for exact phrase
• Truncation - root + variants (*) 
• Database Limiters: date, publication type, type, peer-reviewed, etc.

OPTIONS FOR FULL-TEXT - Where is the actual article???

•  PDF or HTML in database
• A to Z Online Journal Locator
• IDB & ILL

NEED HELP? Contact Us!

Call: (210) 486-5388

Email: nlc-reference@alamo.edu

Library Instructor(s): Laura Tull, Tracey Mendoza