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ENG 319: Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary School (Petersen-Durden)

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Article databases

Database Search Tips

Use Boolean Logic (AND, OR, NOT) to combine search concepts.

 

TOO FEW hits: OR to add synonyms; individual key words, NOT whole phrases; drop concept(s) with AND; truncate; consider other databases.

 

TOO MANY hits:  AND another concept into search; use other available limiters in the database.

 

Truncation symbols (?, *, !, +) will provide variant spelling after the root word. 

 

A wildcard (?, *) is a character that may be used in a search term to represent one or more other characters.

Do an advanced search and take advantage of the fields provided.

Use the subject headings/descriptors to find additional citations on your topic.  If that does not work, use the keyword search.

You can also use limits (e.g., publication year, language, words in the title, etc.) to narrow your retrieval. 
 
Set up an auto alert/RSS feed to monitor the research.  

Evaluating Journals

Evaluating Journals

CHARACTERISTICS

SCHOLARLY/PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS

GENERAL MAGAZINES

How to tell the difference between these two types of periodicals:

Content

Reports on original research; in-depth analysis of topics; statistical information; academic level book reviews; refereed or peer-reviewed

Current events and news; hot topics; brief, factual information; interviews

Length


Longer articles providing in-depth analysis of topics


Shorter articles providing broader overviews of topics

Authorship


Author usually an expert or specialist in the field; name and credentials always provided - researchers, academics, professors, scholars

Author usually a staff writer or a journalist; name and credentials often not provided

Language


Academic level writing & vocabulary; specialized language of the discipline; can be highly technical

Non-technical vocabulary; often simple language

Format/Structure


Articles usually more structured; may include these sections: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography

Articles do not necessarily follow a specific format or structure

Editors


Editors/reviewers are experts in the same field as author(s); many participate in peer-review process prior to publication; rigorous publication standards; articles checked for content, format and style

Editors not academic experts in subject field of article; article topics often assigned or contracted; articles usually only edited for style and format

Publishers


Professional organizations; Universities, research institutes and scholarly presses

Commercial/trade publishers; corporate ownership

Special Features


Illustrations that support the text, such as tables of statistics, graphs, maps, or photographs


Illustrations with glossy or color photographs, usually for advertising purposes

Credits


A bibliography (works cited) and/or footnotes are always provided to document research thoroughly


A bibliography (works cited) is usually not provided; names of reports or references may be mentioned in the text; sources, when used, are rarely cited in full

Finding Film Reviews in Article Databases

                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

Many databases contain reviews from magazines, newspapers, and journals. Before you start searching, it is helpful to know the year the film was released and the complete name of the film. After entering the name of the film (in quotations) in the search box, look for a limit to document type "Review" in the database advanced search pages. You can usually limit by date range too, if you want to see reviews published near the time of the film's release.  If the review document type limiter is not available, add the term "review" to your keyword search.

Interlibrary Loan Request for Articles

If you need an article to which Spiva Library does not have full-text access, we can request a copy from another library using a service called InterLibrary Loan.

This service is available to all MSSU students, faculty, alumni, staff and community card holders.

InterLibrary Loan Policy

*a nominal service fee may
apply in some cases*

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