Finding News Articles for a Speech
When researching for a persuasive speech, position paper, or pro/con exercise: To locate resources that take a particular stance on a topic, search for your topic and consider including some of the following terms to find appropriate resources:
- analysis
- editorial or opinion (in newspapers)
- commentary
- "public opinion" or "public response"
- opponents or proponents
- "comparative analysis"
Polling/Data Sites
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Gallup PollPublic opinion polls on a wide range of topics.
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Pew Research CenterFrom the Pew Research Center site: "Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research."
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The Marist Poll: Pebbles and PunditsRun by The Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College (NY), The Marist Poll measures public opinion on the local, state, and national level. It was the first college-based survey center to involve undergraduates in conducting survey research, a tradition that still continues.
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NORC ResearchThe National Opinion Research Center (NORC) is affiliated with the University of Chicago and its mission is to conduct high-quality social science research in the public interest.
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Quinnipiac PollFrequently cited by journalists, public officials and researchers, the independent Quinnipiac University Poll regularly surveys residents in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and nationwide about political races, state and national elections, and issues of public concern, such as schools, taxes, transportation, municipal services and the environment.
Criteria for evaluating polls
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research has created a list of 20 questions journalists should ask when presented with polling data. This list is useful not only for journalists, but anyone who is interested in evaluating, interpreting, and sharing polling results.
Communications and Mass Media Librarian
Basic Research Databases
Interdisciplinary Databases
These databases are useful for most topics, and contain academic, peer-reviewed articles as well as other types of sources.
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ProQuest Newspapers (U.S. Major Dailies) This link opens in a new windowFull-text of major national newspapers including the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
Subject Specific Databases
Some databases focus on specific subjects or disciplines. Using a more focused database can help you find more relevant results.
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Databases by SubjectUse this list to search for databases by subject. Consider what academic disciplines are most likely to write about your research topic and search for articles in databases relevant to those disciplines.
Searching for Sources
Databases don't work like Google!
You can't just type in your question the same way you would ask another person or an AI like Google, Siri, or Alexa.
Identify key concepts
- Key concepts are the main ideas of your topic/question
- Your research question should have between 2 and 4 key concepts
- Pay attention to any hidden concepts in your question - you may not have explicitly stated one of your assumptions
- Examples:
- Is teacher retention related to leadership styles of principals?
- How does flashcards use impact reading fluency of elementary students with learning disabilities?
- What factors increase graduation rates of LGBT+ students? (hidden concept: college)
Generate keywords
- Try to come up with at least three keywords related to each of your key concepts
- Keywords can be synonyms, broader terms, more specific terms, or just related terms
- Test your keywords to see if they work by plugging them back into your question in place of the concept they are related to
- Examples:
- What factors increase the ____________ of ____________ students in _____________?
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Graduation Rate LGBT+ College retention lesbian university persistence gay higher education bisexual post-secondary education transgender undergraduate
Combine Keywords with Operators
- Operator = word or symbol denoting a function (e.g. +, x, ÷)
- Using Boolean Operators allows you to connect your keywords together in meaningful ways
| Boolean Operators | |
|
AND
graduation AND LGBT AND college |
OR
college OR university OR higher education |
Use filters and limiters to your advantage!
Filters and limiters restrict search results by set criteria, limiting the number of results and helping you find what you're looking for.
Common Helpful Limiters / Filters
- Publication date: when the source was published; for most topics, more recent articles are preferable
- Source type: allows you to limit to only journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, etc.
- Full text: filters results to only those that can be read in full in the current database; will exclude results that the library has access to through other databases or journal subscriptions
- Peer-review: limits results to articles published in peer-reviewed journals; useful when asked to find "scholarly" or "academic" journal articles
Using Limiters / Filters
- On the initial search screen you may find check boxes or drop down menus that let you limit your search before you begin
- On the results page limiters / filters generally appear on the left side of the screen
- Many databases have additional specialized filters related to the content and subject area of the database
- APA PsycInfo | Psychology | limit by age group, gender,and methodology
- ERIC | Education | limit by educational level
- PubMed | Health Sciences | limit by species, sex, and age
- NexisUni | Interdisciplinary | limit by industry, person of interest, and location of publication
- MLA International Bibliography | Literature | limit by period and genre
Not sure how to get the source you want?
We can always get you the source you want, but some sources are easier to track down than others.
Linked Full Text
- Many of the articles you find will be available immediately
- To access the text, click the link; a PDF will be displayed or downloaded, or the text of the source will be displayed as a webpage
- Link text varies between databases. Look for something like:
- PDF Full Text
- Available Online
- HTML Full Text
- Download
"Check for Full Text" Option
- If you do not see an option to link directly to the full text of the article, look for the "Check for Full Text" link
- This link will be in different places in each database, so look closely!
- This link will open a new window and search for the source in other databases and collections the library owns or subscribes to
- Check the Access section of the new page for a link to the full text or Interlibrary Loan request form
Search on Google Scholar
- Some of the sources in our databases are freely available on the web
- Use the "Search for more info on this Title and Author in Google Scholar" link to see if the article is available in full text in Google Scholar
Request through Interlibrary Loan
- If you can't access the source in any other way, the library can request a digital copy of the source from another library with access at no cost to you
- Click the "Request through Interlibrary Loan" link in the databases; a new page will open with a pre-filled request form. Read the form before submitting your request.
- Most articles will be delivered to you as a PDF within two days of your request!
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CardinalSearch
CardinalSearch allows you to search for articles, books, ebooks, journals, and other media from a single platform.
Searching CardinalSearch
- CardinalSearch is available at the link above or on the library homepage
- Search with simple keywords or phrases related to your topic - not complete sentences or questions!
- On the results page, use the drop down menu on the search bar to change which collection you're searching in:
- Articles, Books, and More (default search mode)
- Searches a broad range of resources held by Oesterle Library and other I-Share institutions: print books, ebooks, most articles, scores, audio and video recordings, images, and repositories.
- Oesterle Library Books and More
- Searches for books, audio and video recordings, scores, journals, and more in physical and electronic formats in Oesterle Library's collection.
- All I-Share Libraries
- Searches for books, audio and video recordings, scores, and journals owned by I-Share Libraries (90+ academic and research libraries in Illinois).
- Course Reserves
- Searches physical materials held on reserve at Oesterle Library for North Central courses.
- Articles, Books, and More (default search mode)
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Sign in to see all items available to North Central College students, faculty, and staff!
Helpful Hints for Saving Time and Energy
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Sign in to see all items available to North Central College students, faculty, and staff!
- Use the pin icon to save items to your favorites
- Click the three dot menu next to the pin icon for an option to cite the source in MLA, APA, Chicago, or AMA citation style
- Be sure to manually check these citations as they aren't always correct!
- Click on a source title to see more information about the source including access options
- Many sources that say "Check for available services" can be borrowed through I-Share
- Refine your results using the limiters / filters on the left side of the screen
- Need something now? Limit your results to "Available online"
Newspaper Search
Search across thousands of newspapers articles from hundreds of newspapers.
Searching Newspaper Search
- Newspaper Search is searchable through the search box above and can also be accessed by clicking the Newspaper Search tab on CardinalSearch
- Search with simple keywords or phrases related to your topic - not complete sentences or questions!
- On the results page, use the drop down menu on the search bar to change which collection you're searching in:
- Newspapers (default search mode)
- Searches a broad range of newspapers held or indexed by Oesterle Library and other I-Share institutions
- Includes local, national, and global news sources
- Featured Newspapers
- Searches for news articles published in Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, or The Wall Street Journal
- Newspapers (default search mode)
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Sign in to see all items available to North Central College students, faculty, and staff!
Helpful Hints for Saving Time and Energy
-
Sign in to see all items available to North Central College students, faculty, and staff!
- Use the pin icon to save items to your favorites
- Click the three dot menu next to the pin icon for an option to cite the source in MLA, APA, Chicago, or AMA citation style
- Be sure to manually check these citations as they aren't always correct!
- Click on a source title to see more information about the source including access options
- Sources that say "Check for available services" may be found online, or can be requested through Interlibrary Loan
- Refine your results using the limiters / filters on the left side of the screen
- Need something now? Limit your results to "Available online"
