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The American Dream: Find Articles & Journals

This guide aims to help students find print and online sources to write a strong argument. Students will be able to find valuable sources such as how to write in MLA format and more.

Library Tutorial 4: Using Research Databases

Quick Tip

You can print, email, and save articles from databases.  

Most of the library databases include MLA & APA citations. Find the Cite button, then copy and paste the MLA or APA citation into your Works Cited page.

Scholarly vs Non-Scholarly Resources

Scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources include books and articles published in scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and books. 

  • These sources are reviewed by a panel of experts in that particular field, and are often published by a professional association or a university press. 
  • The experts ensure the information published is credible before accepting it for publication.

Non-Scholarly sources include websites, magazines, newspapers, and books that undergo no expert review prior to publishing.

Search the Megasearch

MegaSearch searches all over the PCC Library's materials and resources. It's similar to an online search engine, like Google. And it's a great place to start your search. For more narrow searches specific to writing, subject databases can be helpful. Check out the "Search Databases" box below for subject databases.

Explore

Colorful pink, yellow, orange, blue and purple sky and clouds in the background. In the foreground, the text reads: "Explore."

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The "Databases for Writing Topics" tab has databases that may aid in researching your essay topics. 

Search Databases

When you want to explore and learn more, try one of these. Then when you later search for targeted information in MegaSearch you will have good background

Remember to email articles to yourself (with automatic MLA citations)

Controversial Issues in Context

  • Pulls together all kinds of information in one place
  • Find explanation and support of your concepts
  • Find articles that have opposing views to yours

Points of View Reference Center

  • Similar to the database listed above.
  • This one gives overview articles on a selection of controversies.
  • It also gives related articles from many other sources.

Gale eBooks

  • This one is different: not controversies, but facts.
  • It has neutral background overview articles 
  • Search across hundreds of encyclopedias..

How to Narrow or Expand Your Searches

Video from the John M. Pfau Library  

You can use AND, OR, & NOT in order to narrow or expand your searches. 

  • AND narrows your search by only searching for resources that contain all of the words you're searching for. Example: Flora AND Fauna will return results that have both words.

  • OR expands your searches by looking for resources containing both terms. Example: Dreams OR Nightmares will return results containing either word. 

  • NOT narrows your search by eliminating certain terms from your searches. Example: Dessert NOT Cake will return results with desserts, but not ones that mention cake.

More Search Tips!

Truncation: *

  • The asterisk * is a common symbol used to represent any number of letters at the ends of words

  • Helps find singulars, plurals, and variant endings of words

  • Example: docu* finds documents, document, documentation, documented

Limiters:

  • Most databases let you limit search results. Some limiters include:

    • Language  

    • Publication type..such as Peer-Reviewed or Scholarly Journals.

    • Date of Publication

​Phrases: " "

  • Enclose phrases in quotation marks when searching the Web or most databases

  • Phrase searching in individual databases may vary. 

  • Example: "sanctuary cities"

  • Example: "federal government"