ENGL 127 Research Writing: Social Sciences (Moreno)

This is a guide for Michael Moreno's ENGL 127 with a focus on Urban Studies.

Find Current Newspapers & Magazines

Find Current News Reporting, Analysis, and even Opinion in Magazines and Newspapers

Search for newspaper and magazine articles in Holman Library Databases to get a sense of the big issues of concern in your city - and to learn what is being done and not done about the issues.

  • Use keywords and subject terms that reflect what you want to learn about. 
  • In the multidisciplinary periodicals databases listed below and in the One Search, limit your search to magazines and newspapers. 
  • Be selective! Some articles are very short and lack substance... Go for content! Under Document Type, try selecting Feature or Cover Story to find lengthier more researched and analytical articles. Also look for series on a subject. The Seattle Times, for example, has series reporting on homelessness, education, and mental health.
  • While much of the content in newspapers is reporting and analysis, newspapers and magazines also contain opinion pieces in which the editorial board, columnists, and the public express their opinion on current issues. To find opinion pieces, select opinion and editorial and document type.

Note: Search the web for additional local and international newspapers and magazines not in library databases.

Sample Search in ProQuest Combined Database

  • Keywords "Las Vegas" AND "affordable housing" a
  • Limited to newspaper and magazine articles from the results list
  • Limited to news from within the last 12 months from the results list
  • Note that I did not check Full Text. That lets me see what a source is about and either link to it in another library database or request it through InterLibrary Loan
  • Note that I did not check Peer Reviewed. That is the limiter for peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles.
  • My search reurned 25 magazine articles specifically on my topic. 

SEARCH: (Click on image to enlarge)

Search ProQuest- las vegas and affordable housing

RESULTS: (click on image to enlarge)

News - Las Vegas and affordable housing

Find Multimedia in Holman Library Collections

This page includes links and strategies for helping you find multimedia resources about your city. 

Multimedia may include DVDs, streamed video and film, podcasts, and other informative visual and/or aural media. 

Streaming Video & DVDs in Holman Library

Search the library catalog for all DVDs and streaming video OR search directly within our streaming video collection, Films on Demand.

Catalog Search:
  1. Type in your city name below - and if that returns nothing, try your state/country or region.
  2. Review your results and then consider if you should focus your search with a second keyword, such as history or art, etc. 
  3. Limit to Video
Films on Demand Streaming Video Collection Search

Films on Demand offers a collection of educational videos on a full range of subjects, along with some news video, TED Talks, and other video. 

  • Tip: You can search for films by title (an entire film) or by segment (which is like a chapter). You will find some great material for your urban studies in segments.

To find videos on your city, state/country, or region, or to find videos on urban issues more generally, I suggest two strategies. 

  • Strategy 1: Type in the name of your city. You can try adding AND a keyword, such as history or architecture, but FoD does better with few search terms.
  • Strategy 2: Click on the menu (3 vertical bars) and select by relevant Subject area. Browse results. Subjects include: 
    • Area studies > by region
    • Geography > Urban Geography or World Geography
    • Art & Architecture
Image of Strategy 1: Search 

click on image to enlarge

FoD - Search by City

Image of Strategy 2: Browse by Subject

click on image to enlarge

FoD-Browse by Subject

Search or browse the list of Featured Producers in the Holman Library database Films on Demand for independent voices in public television programs such as Ken Burns, Ted Talks, Nova, PBS, and the American Experience. To find the list, go to the Films on Demand homepage, and click on the menu symbol in the upper-left corner of the page.

Find News Online

Most major cities have a city newspaper. Others rely on news publications with national and international scope.

To find the news of your city online do a web search. You can search for the city and limit to News or you can do a search to see if there is a newspaper from your city - so for example, Paris newspapers.

Also try Front Page, a project in which the daily front pages from newspapers around the world are published. Each links out to the newspaper website for deeper digging. 

Finally, for international news, you might try the BBC and Al Jazeera, published in print and multimedia. 

Google Web Search

Find Multimedia Online

The Web and other Libraries are also a good place to look for online news and news magazine programs, videos, film, and podcasts on your city or urban issue. Here is a sampling of resources: 

Multimedia News Online:

Sample News Magazine Programs

Look for news and cultural programming from your city.

TED Talks 

Sample Podcasts/ Podcast Lists:

Here are just a few things I found on the Web.

Other Libraries

Why Use Newspapers & Magazines?

Image of newspaper front pages

Why Magazines & Newspapers?

Magazines and Newspapers provide a window into the life of a community. That makes them a great source of information for the City Project.

  • Most magazine and newspapers articles are written by journalists for a general adult audience. 
  • Newspapers are generally published daily and are a great place to get an overview of the current issues and interests in a city. 
  • While some news articles are too brief to offer much substance, newspapers also run longer, more analytical stories. These offer insight into a city's character.
  • Magazines are generally published weekly or monthly. This can be an opportunity for longer, more substantial reporting and analysis. 
  • Most cities will have their own news publications. There are also many magazines devoted to city life and these offer a window into contemporary urban life.
  • Newspapers, and some magazines, also include an op-ed page for editorials and opinions by the newspaper editorial board (not the reporters) and by community members, whether politicians, service providers, activists, or concerned community members.