Delta College Library
Entry #3 Using General Sources
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For this example, we are going to say that you need to find an article about stem cells from a general magazine such as Newsweek, Readers Digest, Smithsonian, Time, or U.S. News and World Report, to name just a few.
You need to find a magazine index that will index these general magazines. FirstSearch's WilsonSelectPlus and ReadersGuideAbs are two such computerized indexes that can give you the entire text of articles, off the computer.
Step 1: You need to get into FirstSearch. Once you are in FirstSearch, you should see a long list of indexes/databases. Scroll down the page to click on WilsonSelectPlus.
- Make sure that you are searching the correct database, such as WilsonSelectPlus or ReadersGuideAbs.
- Type your keywords (topic) in the box next to "Search for:"
- Make sure that the white box, next to the box where you typed your topic (stem cells), says "Keyword."
- Within the box on the next line under your topic (stem cells), type in the title of the magazine that you want to search. For this example, we will search Time magazine.
- You must tell the computer (FirstSearch) that Time is the Source (magazine) that you want to search. The default word in the white box next to the box where we typed "time" will say "Keyword." You need to click on the down arrow within the box. You will be presented with a long list of options. Scroll down the list to click on "Source Phrase."
- The following image shows what the search boxes should look like IF you are using the WilsonSelectPlus index to search for articles about stem cells in the source/magazine by the name of Time.
Step 3: Click on the "Search" button and the computer will perform the search.
Step 4: In WilsonSelectPlus, there are 34 citations that have something to do with stem cells. These 34 articles are located within Time magazine.
- If you click on the title of the article, you may be presented with an abstract (summary) of the article.
- Almost every citation within WilsonSelectPlus will give you the entire full-text of the article. Click on the link, within the citation, that reads as "View Full Text in HTML format (WilsonSelectPlus)" and the full-text of the article will be presented on the computer screen for you to read or print.
- If you do not find what you want by searching Time, then repeat the process by using one of the other magazines.
- If you do not find what you want in WilsonSelectPlus, then choose ReadersGuideAbs and start the search process over again.
- Click on the down arrow next to WilsonSelectPlus and choose ReadersGuideAbs from the list.
Delta College - Library (A110)
1961 Delta Road
University Center, MI 48710
Last updated: 5/10/2010