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BCC Library Resources and Research Strategies for English 110/111: Databases

This guide will help you discover resources and strategies for research in English 110 and 111.

START EARLY WHEN ASKING FOR HELP!

  • Research Questions? : Ask-A-Librarian or Reference@bcc.cuny.edu
  • Circulation loan, e-reseerve and return Questions? : circulation@bcc.cuny.edu
  • Equipment Loan and Return Questions? : LibTech@bcc.cuny.edu.
  • Library Instruction? :  laroi.lawton@bcc.cuny.edu or ronise.springer@bcc.cuny.edu

The following link provides technology service outside the Library Department, like laptop loans for students and faculty currently enrolled at the College

Article and Database Searching

INTRODUCTION

Databases often focus on a particular subject. This means that, as long as you are using an appropriate database, you will find more material on your topic and less irrelevant information. But how do you select the best database? Here are some tips.

To reach the list of databases from the BCC Library's Homepage go to the following link:  https://bcc-cuny.libguides.com/az.php

DATABASES

The names of the databases will appear, listed in alphabetical order. However you probably don't want to search the entire A to Z listing! Fortunately, it's possible to filter the databases by subject.

Use the drop-down menu (ALL SUBJECTS) to choose the subject area you want — for instance, accounting, education, or diabetes. Or you could choose a type of source, ALL DATABASE TYPES) such as encyclopedias or newspapers. This will narrow down the list of databases.

CHOOSING A DATABASE

When choosing databases to use for your research, there are several factors to consider:

  • the academic subjects covered
  • the types of materials included (e.g. scholarly journal articles, professional reports, images of works of art, encyclopedia articles, popular magazine articles)
  • the availability of full text of articles
  • date range of materials covered

If you have a general topic, and aren't sure where to search, it is often a good idea to start in Academic Search Complete, because that is a general database with some information on almost every topic. If you are looking for newspaper articles, you should try New York Times Digital & The Wall Street Journal (free to students, staff and faculty- learn more at: https://www.bcc.cuny.edu/library), and Nexis Uni,

Choosing the right database is one of the most important parts of the research process. It can be difficult when you aren't familiar with all the databases, so don't feel shy about asking a librarian for help either through http://reference@bcc.cuny.edu or Ask-A-Librarian

DEFINING YOUR TOPIC

A database is a collection of records, one for each item (e.g. a journal article, book, DVD), that is indexed. A record consists of elements of information about the item, called “fields.”

Common fields include: title, author, subject, and source, that is, the magazine or journal in which the article was originally published. A keyword search searches all fields. You can obtain the record for an item by searching in one or more fields.

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You can use these and other databases to find research about more standard controversial topics. 

The premier source for peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources. Extensive coverage of the sciences, technology, medicine, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects - authoritative and comprehensive.

  • Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost) : Searching for full text articles across disciplines.
  • CQ ResearcherGet in-depth, non-biased reports on today's important issues. Each lengthy report covers a single topic, and includes a bibliography. 
  • Credo Reference : Includes a wide range of subject-specific titles covering everything from art to accountancy and literature to law. 
  •  Literature Resource Center (Gale) : Biographies, and critical analyses of more than 120,000 authors from every age and literary    discipline.
  • Provides contextual information and opinions on social issues. Features updated viewpoints, topic overviews, full-text magazine, journal and news articles, primary sources, statistics, images, videos, audio files and links to vetted websites.  
  •  NOVELNY                                                                                                                                                                     Resources in this portal are available to all New Yorkers without a password as long as one is in New York State, via a NY driver or non-driver ID if not currently in New York State and/or via a Library Card.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

HOW TO ACCESS THE BCC LIBRARY'S RESOURCES ON AND OFF-CAMPUS