Research Tools and Techniques: Find Articles

LC students & employees have access to over 100 different article databases through the library.

Use them to find:

• newspaper, journal, magazine articles
• e-books & book chapters
• articles from reference books
• Streaming video & images

1. Go to:  www.lee.edu/library
2. Choose the “Databases” tab
3. From the pull-down menu, choose the name of the database you would like to search.
4. Click “Go.”
5. IF YOU ARE OFF CAMPUS, you will be asked to enter a login and password.  This is your MYLC login and password.
6. Your selected database will open.
7. Make sure you are on the “Advanced Search” page.  Ebsco databases default to this search ; Opposing Viewpoints and Nexis Uni do not, so you have to click “Advanced.”
8. Using your search terms (which you have followed the directions above to create…), enter terms into the search fields…but don’t click Search yet!!
9. Below the search fields, there is a section that you can fill out to refine your search:
   • Click “Full text” – this will ensure that you can read the articles immediately.
   • Enter dates in the field that allows you to filter out articles that are too old (or new, of you’re doing historical research).
   • Choose among “Publication types” or “Content types,” etc. – these boxes are allowing you limit your search to certain formats (journal articles, law articles, reviews, magazine articles, etc.).  You will choose based on which types of sources you decided you need.
10. NOW, click “Search.”

DO NOT FORGET TO NOTE THE INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED TO CITE YOUR SOURCES. 

• Most of the databases have a button called, “Cite,” “Citations,” or “Source,” that will format your citations for you, based on the citation style your professor prefers.

Gale PowerSearch allows you to search most of the library's resources simultaneously.  Because you are looking through a huge number of resources all at one time (literally millions of articles!), your search will probably have to be very specific in order to find usable articles.

Access OneSearch either:

• through the library's homepage:  www.lee.edu/library
• directly through this link

This is where your background research comes in.  Unless your topic is very specific, you will most likely need to search using the mutiple terms, such as:

[Title of Movie] + [Director's name] --> The Farewell and Lulu Wang

[Topic] + [Time period, geographic location] --> Ethics  and Ancient Greece

Alternatively, you can use the limiters on the OneSearch search page to narrow your search.  Example: 

[Your Topic] + [use E-books as a limiter] --> Hermeneutics + [now choose "ebooks" from the Source Type menu]