HUS 101: Introduction to Human Services: In the News
Start with the HUS 101 Library Session Notes
This document provides useful tips and links for every aspect of this research project. I'll cover this in more detail when I meet with your class.
Find Books, Articles, DVDs, and more
Finding News Sources
Use these sources to find a news story (remember, it needs to be a specific story you can follow across multiple news outlets) and to find additional articles, podcasts, etc. about that news story for your analysis. In many cases, once you've found a specific news story, your best bet for finding additional sources on the same story is to Google details of the story.
- Google NewsSearch major US and world newspapers for current articles on your policy topic.
- US Major Dailies This link opens in a new windowFull text newspapers from five U.S. national and regional newspapers: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune
- PCC Library News GuideGuide to finding quality local, national, and international news sources, both through PCC and on the free web.
Finding Articles related to the Context of Your Topic (not the specific news story)
In addition to using Google, search these databases to find articles on the larger context of your topic (not the specific news story).
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new windowFull text for more than 4,500 scholarly social sciences, humanities, general science, education and multi-cultural journals. 3,700 are peer-reviewed.
- US Major Dailies This link opens in a new windowFull text newspapers from five U.S. national and regional newspapers: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune
- Psychology Resources This link opens in a new windowSearch EBSCOhost's Psychology Collection, Academic Search Premier, and MasterFile Premier at the same time. Topics in the Psychology Collection include emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry and psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods.
- Google Scholar This link opens in a new windowGoogle Scholar searches the web for scholarly articles, reports, books, and other materials. If using Google Scholar from a PCC campus, you can access full text articles. If PCC has access to an article, a "Find it @ PCC" link will appear to the right of the search result. Click “Find it @ PCC” to go to the library catalog where you will be offered a choice to view the article. From home, you will need to set your Google Scholar preferences to access PCC Library resources. See How to Search PCC Library on Google Scholar for directions on how to set your Google Scholar preferences at home.
Types of Articles
There are many different types of articles. The chart below can help you figure out which type(s) you're looking for or identify an article you've already found:
News articles provide the most current information. Certain newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, are also known for thoughtful, in-depth analyses of important topics and events. | |
Popular magazine articles can help you generate ideas about issues, controversies, or unanswered questions about a topic, which you might want to explore further. They sometimes refer to studies or scholarly work that you can track down for more information. | |
Trade publications are written by and for professionals within an industry. These are an excellent source of very specific information from inside the field. | |
Scholarly journal articles go through a process of peer review before they are published. They are written by experts in the field (the people with letters after their name!) and their purpose is to advance the ongoing body of work within the discipline. These articles might present original research data and findings, or take a position on a key question within the field. They can be difficult to read, because their intended audience is other experts and academics, but they are at the top of the line when it comes to authoritative information. |