Finding Articles
To find articles on your topic use the NSCC periodical databases (also called periodical indexes or subscription databases). These databases contain citations, abstracts, and most importantly full-text articles from countless publications, ranging from popular magazines to scholarly journals. Most of these articles are not available free, online. They have been purchased by your library.
You will need to access the database via the library website. If you are researching from home, you will be prompted to enter your NetID and last name, which will allow you remote access to the database. If you access a periodical database without going through the library portal you will not be able to search it or you will be prompted to pay for full text to the articles you find.
Searching for articles with Boolean logic - "talking" to a database
Unfortunately, searching subscription databases isn't as simple as searching Google. When you search a periodical database you will need to combine your keywords by using Boolean operators. When you select the ProQuest database through the NSCC website, you will find a set of search boxes [click for image]. The search fields are separated by Boolean operators:
- and - narrows your search for fewer results (ex. internet and media)
- or - broadens your search for more results, usually used for related terms (ex. internet or web sites)
- and not - excludes certain terms (ex. paris and not hilton)
Be sure and limit your search to full text documents only. If your instructor has asked you to search for academic articles, you can also limit your search to Scholarly journals. [Click for image of sample search in ProQuest.]
Review your results. Are the articles generally what you were looking for? Do you need to reconsider your terms? Re-search if necessary. Or consider a different database.
NSCC Library subscribes to a number of periodical databases. Review the list of databases listed by subject available at NSCC. Or ask a librarian to help you select the best databases for your topic. Keep in mind: while these databases may vary in appearance, they all have essentially the same features.
Ready for advanced database searching?
- Read the database's help page to learn about truncation symbols and other ways to streamline your search.
- Find and use the database's controlled vocabulary (for instance ProQuest Topics) to retrieve better results.
