Find Articles - ENGL 101 - Composition I - Library Guides at SUNY Cobleskill

Where to Search

The best place to start searching is usually the main search box on the library's homepage.

The main search box provides access to books, periodicals, scholarly (peer reviewed) academic journal articles, ebooks, media, and credible online resources--all with one simple search. Entering a few keywords in this box will automatically search over 65 separate databases, each of which includes material from literally thousands of different sources.

There are a few special databases, though, that are particularly helpful to students in first-year composition classes. These databases are online collections of the types of articles that most professors want students to use in their ENGL 099, ENGL 101, and ENGL 102 research papers. These databases also categorize their content according to certain subject areas that are frequently written about by students in those classes.

CQ Researcher
The CQ Researcher provides in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day. The reports are written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. Full-length articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research.
Points of View Reference Center
This full-text database is designed to provide students with a series of essays that present multiple sides of a current issue. The database contains 255 topics, each with an overview (objective background/description), point (argument), counterpoint (opposing argument) and Critical Thinking Guide.
Opposing Viewpoints
Access to full-text articles, news, statistics, images and web links on a number of topics and social issues.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
Britannica Academic
[ Select "Use my location" on intro screen to start your session ] Includes Encyclopedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools including a world atlas, a tool to compare countries side by side, and a tool that includes comprehensive statistics on every nation of the world.

What is a scholarly source?

Instructors often ask students to find “scholarly”, “academic”, or “peer reviewed” sources of information for their research. These terms all refer to the same type of information – sources based on in-depth research, and are considered higher in quality and more reliable for your research.

These sources can range from chapters within books or entire books, or journal articles, but all have common characteristics that can help you recognize that type of information.

Produced by experts or researchers in a specialized field or discipline.
Purpose is to present new or unpublished research.
Articles reviewed by experts for scholarly content or quality, or peer reviewed
Written using formal language and structure: abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, possibly footnotes, endnotes and/or bibliography.
May include tables or graphs to support research.

Database Search Tips

Select Peer-Reviewed to limit you search to only articles published in peer-reviewed journals.
Select Full-Text to see only articles you can read immediately.
If the full text of an article isn't available, you can request it for free through InterLibrary Loan (ILLIAD). Articles usually take 24-48 hours to arrive, and are sent to you by email.
When you have found an article that is close to what you are looking for, look at the subject headings. Try searching these terms to find relevant articles.
Look at the references/citations at the end of an article to find more articles on your topic.

ENGL 101 - Composition I: Find Articles

Where to Search

What is a scholarly source?

Database Search Tips