Research Guide for English 102: Finding Opinion Articles
 |
Prepared by Elinor Appel, NSCC Librarian
Library website (this will open in a new tab or window) Worksheet (this document will open in a new tab or window) Image Source: DHD Multimedia Gallery |
Periodical Databases
Periodical databases are your most direct route to finding opinion articles and editorials online.These databases contain articles from newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. You can search within a publication or search across publications. Searching across all the publications is your best bet, at least in the beginning.
1. Finding articles in ProQuest
1. Select Proquest Direct (at the top of database list) from the list of periodical databases. (This link will open in a new window.)
2. Always check the full text box, to guarantee that you find full-text articles.
3. Add your topic to the search
Type in a topic that interests you. (Some ideas: abortion, the Iraq War, immigration, gun control, testing in education, global warming, cloning, etc.) If you add a term to bias your search, use AND between the terms. For instance:
Search trick: limiting your search to editorials
Select Document Type from the dropdown menu to the right, where it says "Citation and abstract." Then select or type in editorial.
See the sample search (below).
Search trick: retrieving shorter articles
To limit your results to articles between one to three pages (this will vary depending on the physical size of the publication, number of pictures, etc.) , type in WC(>300 AND <1000). Translation: word count between 300 and 1000 words, or about one to three pages.
Sample search
5. Looking at your results
Experiment with your results by adding terms, or keywords, from your worksheet which have political or emotional significance. For instance, if you add the term "murder" to your search for opinion pieces about abortion, you will find in your results a different mix of articles than if you add a term such as "rights" or "choice." A search using the terms "global warming" and "hype" retrieves articles like this. The combination of the terms global warming and humans or danger are likely to retrive results like this.
6. Other databases to search:
- Academic Search Premier - another general database (scroll down to find the document type in a separate location)
- Ethnic News Watch - contains articles from ethnic, minority and native press (ProQuest)
- Alt-Press Watch - contains articles from the alternative press (ProQuest)
For more information on finding articles in periodical databases, refer to Finding Articles. This link will lead to additional information how to "talk to the database" using Boolean logic and several specific search symbols.
Internet
Public Agenda Issue Guides - lists controversial issues. Use this link to come up with a topic or keywords.
Online articles
It is not always easy to tell where a website is on the political spectrum. News sources like Fox News tend to claim to be unbiased in their reporting: "We report. You decide." Other organizations state their biases more clearly.
Left
- CounterPunch
"CounterPunch is the bi-weekly muckraking newsletter edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair. Twice a month we bring our readers the stories that the corporate press never prints. We aren't side-line journalists here at CounterPunch. Ours is muckraking with a radical attitude and nothing makes us happier than when CounterPunch readers write in to say how useful they've found our newsletter in their battles against the war machine, big business and the rapers of nature."
- In These Times
"In These Times is dedicated to informing and analyzing popular movements for social, environmental and economic justice; to providing a forum for discussing the politics that shape our lives; and to producing a magazine that is read by the broadest and most diverse audience possible."
Right
- American Enterprise Institute
"AEI's purposes are to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism--limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and responsibility, vigilant and effective defense and foreign policies, political accountability, and open debate. Its work is addressed to government officials and legislators, teachers and students, business executives, professionals, journalists, and all citizens interested in a serious understanding of government policy, the economy, and important social and political developments."
- The Heritage Foundation
"Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute - a think tank - whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense."
MLA Style Guides
You will be documenting your essay in the MLA citation style. If you found your article in ProQuest, you can create a citation from the article. Here are some resources, in addition to what your instructor has given you:
- KnightCite - citation generator
- MLA style guide (PDF)
- Works Cited Page: Basic Format - excellent tutorial from The Owl Writing Center at Purdue University
Survey
Please fill out this quick survey to help us plan future library workshops. Thank you!