Finding Magazines in ProQuest & Academic Search

Use the databases ProQuest or Academic Search Complete to search for magazine and newspaper articles. Remember to limit to only magazine and/or newspaper articles by checking the appropriate boxes by source or document type or by narrowing to source type after you search (see images below).

Limiting to magazines and newspapers in ProQuest databases

As shown in the image below, the advanced search page in the databases allows you to control the results you see. 

• Here you can see that you can search by using multiple keywords. By combining videogam* AND gender you can be more specific about the results you get; you can narrow them. The asterisk * mark at the end of the word tells the search tool to find all forms of a root word, eg. videogames, videogaming, etc.
• When you need results right away - articles that you can download immediately - it's always a good idea to limit to "full text" as well. 
• Finally, under the option for "Source Type," you'll find the option to limit your results to see articles of just one type; here, just magazines is selected. 

(click on image to enlarge)

Limiting by source type in Academic Search and other EBSCO databases

Limiting in academic search is very similar to limiting in Proquest. You can limit to a specific source type while you're on the first, advanced search page, or you can wait until you enter a search and see results, then, use the limiters on the side. 

• As shown in the image below, you can look under "Source Type" and limit to just magazines and newspapers

(click on image to enlarge)

For more search tips and information about popular sources like this, consider the guide linked below:

Image: Evan Sung for Bloomberg Businessweek. "Living in the United States of Food Waste." Bloomberg Business. Jan 10, 2013. Retrieved from Bloomberg.com.

Fig. 4. Alland, Alexander (Photographer). "Street Scenes - Newsstands." Collection: Photographic views of New York City, 1870's-1970's. NYPL Digital Gallery. 1938. Web. 2/4/14

When you search the library's periodical databases, most articles in your results are either from a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

You are required to find a magazine or newspaper article as a source for your Background Essay. Why?

• Magazine articles are written for a general audience and explore current issues of interest in some depth.   

• While most newspaper articles are too short to provide a lot of information or analysis, newspapers give you insight into the daily impact of social concerns. Some newspapers also include longer investigative and analytical pieces. Look for substance!

• Scholarly journal articles are detailed and written for a special, academic audience. You will dig into them for your literature review.