MegaSearch (searches most of our databases all at once)
How to Access MegaSearch:
1.) Navigate to either pima.edu/library or the "Library" tab in MyPima, or click the above link
2.) Click on "Advanced Search" under Megasearch
More tips...
Use quotation marks for phrases (e.g "Latin America" or "gender role")
Use asterisks * for wild card searching (e.g. colon* -- searches colony, colonies, colonial)
Think of synonyms for your term and join them using "or"
To narrow searches and increase relevancy, you can search by subject, abstract, or title.
Some example searches that utilize these tools and strategies:
Scholarly vs Non-Scholarly Resources
Your instructor may ask your to use only scholarly resources for your paper. What's the difference between a scholarly or non-scholarly resource?
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. These 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.
Check with your instructor if you plan to use any non-scholarly websites and use the CRAAP test to evaluate them.
What are Peer-Reviewed Articles?
Does your instructor require you to use scholarly, or peer-reviewed articles? Watch the video below from North Carolina State University to learn about peer-reviewed articles.
Online Reference Databases
Here are a few suggested resources for research on Latin American history and culture.
- CountryWatch This link opens in a new window
Data features quantifiable data points on subjects such as economics, health, disease, religion, etc.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library (formerly Gale ebooks) This link opens in a new window
- History Reference Center This link opens in a new window
- Salem Press: History This link opens in a new windowOverviews of key events and people across history.
- Ancient & Medieval History OnlineGo to Browse Topics: The Americans 2000 BCE - 1500 BCE
- ARTstor This link opens in a new windowHigh-resolution art images: painting, sculpture, and more.
To access ARTstor off-campus you will need to create an account within ARTstor after authenticating through Pima.
ARTstor is migrating to JSTOR and all ARTstor data can be found on JSTOR. The Artstor website will be removed on August 1, 2024. - Daily Life through History This link opens in a new windowReference information about daily life of different cultures through history.
Periodical Databases
You can use article databases to find articles from magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals, and trade journals.
See all Magazine, Journal and Newspaper Databases.
Periodical Databases related to Latin American History and Culture:
- Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
An unprecedented collection of peer-reviewed, full-text journals for academic research.
- MasterFILE Premier This link opens in a new window
- Newspaper Source This link opens in a new window"Provides cover-to-cover full text for hundreds of national (U.S.), international and regional newspapers. In addition, it offers television and radio news transcripts from major networks." -EBSCO
- ProQuest News and Newspapers This link opens in a new window"Collection of digitized news content, spanning the latest headlines and developments in contemporary politics, culture, health and technology, to historical coverage of important (and sometimes forgotten) people, places and events dating back to the 1700s." -ProQuest
- ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new window
Research Library is a truly multidisciplinary resource featuring a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and other timely sources across the top 150 subject area
Google Scholar
Google offers another way to search for both scholarly articles and books using Google Scholar. It will direct you to PCC Library holdings of articles and books, if available.
- Use the Advanced Search for additional functionality.
- Click the "Check for Free Full-Text" to go to PCC's version of the full article.
- Clicking the title usually takes you to a preview of the article, with an option to buy it. Check to see of PCC Library has it first.
- If PCC does not have a copy, check the UofA Library. If you are not a UofA student, you will need to go to the UofA library to get a copy of the article.
- If you find a book and open it via Google Books, keep in mind that it may only be a preview or the book. See if copies are available at PCC, UofA, or PCPL.