Finding Articles on Your Topic
Research on a subject is seldom complete without magazines, journals, and newspapers. You can find these articles in databases.
A database is a collection of information. Most of the library's databases are electronic indexes, or lists, used to locate articles. You search these databases by typing in keywords. If you have a hard time getting the articles you want or don't know what database to use, Chat with a Librarian and we'll help you.
To access the databases from off campus you will be prompted to enter your Cerritos College User ID and password. For more login information see the Database Login page.
See the Database Page for a complete description of the Cerritos College Library online resources.
Use the following databases to find articles that are most relevant to your topic. See the Database Page for a complete description of the Cerritos College Library online resources.
If you forget how to search the databases, below are two short "how to" videos that cover how to search all the databases below.
HOW TO VIDEO: How to Search Academic Search Complete (applies to all databases from Ebsco)
HOW TO VIDEO: How to Search the US Major Dailies Database (applies to all databases from Proquest)
What is a Scholarly Journal? |
Scholarly journals are generally published by and for experts. A publication is considered to be peer reviewed if its articles go through an official editorial process that involves review and approval by the author’s peers (people who are experts in the same subject area.) Articles in scholarly journals present new, previously unpublished research. Scholarly sources will almost always include:
Use scholarly journals for highly focused original research.
Examples: AMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, African American Review, Modern Fiction Studies, American Psychologist and American Sociological Review
What is a Popular Magazine? |
Articles in popular magazines tend to be written by staff writers or freelance journalists and are geared towards a general audience. While most magazines adhere to editorial standards, articles do not go through a peer review process and rarely contain bibliographic citations. Popular magazines are periodicals that one typically finds at grocery stores, airport newsstands, or bookstores. Use popular magazines for a general overview of current news and opinions, or firsthand accounts of an event.
Examples: Popular magazines range from highly respected publications such as Scientific American and The Atlantic Monthly to general interest magazines like People, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek and US News & World Report.
What is a Trade Publication? |
Trade publications focus on a specific profession or trade. Articles in trade magazines cover the interest of skilled laborers, technicians, and artisans. Professional magazines cover the interests of professors, librarians, and members of other fields that require advanced degrees. Subject magazines cover a topic of interest to one or more professions. Use trade magazines for overviews of news and research in a particular field.
Examples: Legal Assistant Today and Library Journal
For some research assignments, it is important to use primary sources, instead of or in addition to secondary sources. What’s the difference? |
Primary sources are original documents or objects—first-hand information or the raw material. These original documents are often diaries, letters, memoirs, journals, speeches, or interviews. They may also include published pieces such as newspaper or magazine articles, as long as they are written soon after the fact and not as historical accounts. Eye witness accounts, photographs, audio or video recordings, research reports in the natural or social sciences, or original literary or theatrical works are also considered primary sources.
Secondary sources interpret primary sources. Secondary sources include comments on, interpretations of, or discussions about the original material. You can think of secondary sources as second-hand information. Secondary source materials can be articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that evaluate or criticize someone else’s original research.
Examples of Primary and Secondary Sources
|
Primary Source |
Secondary Source |
Art |
Original artwork |
Article critiquing the piece of art |
History |
Slave diary |
Book about the Underground Railroad |
Literature |
Poem |
Treatise on a particular genre of poetry |
Political Science |
Treaty |
Essay on Native American land rights |
Science or Social Sciences |
Report of an original experiment |
Review of several studies on the same topic |
Theatre |
Videotape of a performance |
Biography of a playwright |