ENGL 102
Writing and Research
Home Page >>Research Resources >> Periodical Databases

You may want to begin your research here, simply because the periodical articles will help you see the scope and breadth of resources available on your topic. Searching for periodicals used to be difficult and take a lot of time, but not anymore. Many of the Periodical Databases even let you access or download the actual article itself. Most of the time, you will find the articles and then need to order them through Inter-Library Loan.

Contact your local library, the CCC library, or your instructor for Inter-Library Loans.

NebraskAccess -- this is a collection of databases, including FirstSearch and OmniFile that you can access from any computer. You will need to have your Nebraska Driver's License to use as your login, since this is being paid for by Nebraska Library Commission tax dollars.

Academic Search Elite -- is another good academic focused database. You will need to contact your instructor for the login and password, however. It can only be used by current students, and thus cannot be put on a public webpage.

Highbeam - This database is free for all users, and subscribers have access to full-text. Most libraries in the state of Nebraska also have access to the full-text, but you have to be physically present in the library, not working at home. Many of the sources in this database are questionable for a college or professional level paper, but the results may surprise you. This is an especially good source for transcripts of TV and radio programs and newspaper articles. The CCC Library at College Park has access to this for users physically in the library only, no home computers or even non-library school computers.

Magportal - this is a site that allows publishers with Internet sites to have their articles listed in a free database. The results here are rarely comprehensive enough to make this a one-stop research spot for periodicals, but it is free. The results take you to the actual website of the magazine, so citing and using the information is relatively easy.

FindArticles -This database is often not as good as Magportal, but it does link to a lot of professional and service periodicals. The articles can all be read in their entirety and can be printed, but are not from the original websites, but rather from FindArticle’s database, so they will need to be cited to the database, not the periodical. Good for secondary type sources usually.

Medline - If you are searching for a science or medical subject, the best way to find references to college and professional level sources is through Medline. There are several different versions of Medline. This URL takes you to the PubMed version. The Medline Plus version might be more helpful for non-science or Nursing students. These journals will almost assuredly have to be inter-library loaned. Most of these articles are written by medical and scientific professionals for other professionals. Be sure that you can read and understand the material before requesting it through Inter-Library Loan.

Most academic libraries will have even more excellent academic level databases available to you, but most of them are only going to be available to you if you are physically IN the library, due to licensing and subscription agreements. Sometimes you just have to go TO the library!

You need to check your topic in several of these databases in order to find out what is available. Be sure to fill out the following form as completely as possible. Feel free to do more searches and use more databases than you are given room for here. This page should be considered a minimum.