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Tips on How to Find Current Health and Science Articles

This web guide was created to assist you in locating current health and science magazine and newspaper articles using MCC Libraries online databases. It provides a list of recommended article databases to use to search for articles on your topic, article search tips, links to health & science websites, and information on citing style guidelines.

About MCC Libraries Online Article Databases

The MCC Libraries subscribe to a number of electronic databases you can use to search for articles on your particular topic. Some databases are full-text and therefore have entire articles from certain magazines, journals, and newspapers available to you to print directly from the computer.

To Access MCC Libraries Article Databases

To log-in to EZproxy, students must use the same username and password combination required to access their MCC Student E-mail Account. MCC
students can learn more about their college e-mail account by visiting the
"MCC Students" web page at http://www.monroecc.edu/Students/ and clicking on the "Lookup My Account" and "Common Questions" links in the "Email Help & Setup" drop down menu on the right side of the page.

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Recommended Article Databases

The following databases are useful for locating magazine and newspaper articles in the fields of science and health. Here you will find articles from the following magazines: Discover, Harvard Health Letter, Health, National Geographic, Natural Health, New Scientist, Newsweek, Popular Science, Prevention, Science News, Scientific American, Time, U.S. News and World Report and many others.

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Terms / Keywords to use when Searching for Articles

A successful search for articles on your topic in the library databases depends upon what terms/keywords you type in the search box.

1.) You can perform a search in an article database using some of the
      recommended terms listed below.

      Examples of possible terms/keywords to use in your search include:

Example of a Basic Keyword Search

2.) You can combine these terms with your topic to create different search
      strategies using the words "and", "or", "not" to help locate more focused
      articles available on your topic.

     Some examples of keyword search strategies include:

Example of a Keyword Search Strategy using the word "and" to
connect your search terms

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Additional Article Search Tips

• Search more than one database to locate articles, since there is variation in the subject terms used by each database, and also differences in the type and number of journals, magazines, and newspapers covered in each database.

• Each library article database contains a "Help" section which provides numerous tips on searching, viewing search results, and print/e-mail/save options.

• If a full-text article is not available directly from a database, make sure you write down or print off the citation for the article. You will need the citation information (title of the publication, author, title of article, volume, date, issue, and page numbers) to check if the article is available from the Libraries' print periodicals collection, or if you want to submit a request for Interlibrary Loan.

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Interpreting the Results of your Search

• After you press the "Search" button a list of records will appear on the screen. Some articles in your results list will be available full text directly from the database, which you can then print off directly from the computer. Depending upon your topic, you may see a wide variety of publications appearing in your search results list. The most recent articles written on your topic will appear at the top of the search result list.

• You can limit your search results by publication type simply by clicking on the "academic journals" or "magazines" links that appear in the top left corner of the search results screen.
   

  How to narrow your search results to retrieve only journal or magazine articles.

   
• When reviewing your search results, consider the length of the articles that appear in your results list. Some may be very short, only a couple hundred words, while others may be a few pages, or up to 10 pages in length or longer. You want to make sure you select an article that contains enough content for you to read and write a summary on. Notice that the article in the results list below is 1 page in length.

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Other Options for Limiting your Search

Using search terms in combination with the different limiting options provided in each database may also help you narrow your search to find articles on your topic.

Note that the limiting options are labeled differently in each database. For example, in the Academic Search Premier article database you are able to limit your search results using the following options available in the "Advanced Search" feature:  Cover Story, Full-Text, limit to a specific Publication (for example, Newsweek), and limit to Publication Type (for example, periodical or newspaper).

In the example below I have limited my search to locate full-text articles available in Popular Science magazine.

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Health & Science News Websites

Current health and science news articles are sometimes available online from various news and magazine websites.

Some popular websites to visit include:

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Citing your Sources

• Many article databases now offer citation creation tools available directly from within their search interface. In the Ebsco databases, this feature appears when you select the Print, E-mail, or Save option for any record in your search results list.

• Remember that these citation creation tools only serve as guides to the citing process. You should always check the citation that is created by these tools against a style manual to make sure that it is formatted correctly.

Example of the Citation Creation Tool available after selecting the "Print" option for a record in the Academic Search Premier article database.

More Citation Help

• In addition to the citation creation tools, the "Help" sections in the article databases also provide guidelines and examples showing the formatting options of various citation styles, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA).

• The MCC Libraries Citing and Writing Resources page provides links to learn more about grammar usage, the writing process, and various citing styles needed to properly document books, articles, websites, or other materials used in completing your assignments.

• Consult the The MCC Guide to Writing Research Papers, a publication developed by the MCC Libraries and English department Faculty to serve as a guide to the information research process. Contents include: how to cite print and electronic resources using examples from the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and Council of Science Editors (CSE) style manuals.

• Print copies of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition, published in 2003 are available at the LeRoy V. Good Library (Brighton campus) LB 2369.G53 2003, and the Damon City Campus Library (CIty LB 2369.G53 2003).

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Need Additional Help?

For in-person assistance while on campus, stop by the Information Desk at the LeRoy V. Good Library, and the Reference Desk at the Damon City Campus Library. Librarians are always available to assist you with you information needs.

When you are off campus, you can reach a Librarian by telephone at 292-2319 (LeRoy V. Good) and 292-1420 (Damon), and also through our Electronic Reference Service http://www.monroecc.edu/go/eref.

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P. Czaja, Revised 8/2008, http://www.monroecc.edu/go/library