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ENGL 1213 Composition 2

Research & rhetoric for more advanced expository essays.

Articles & Databases

Finding Articles

The library’s research databases enable you to find articles, electronic books, reports, images, and more.

The content of each database varies:

  • Some materials are full-text and some are not.
  • Some materials are scholarly and some are popular.
  • Some databases cover almost every topic while others focus on a specific area.

Below, you will find a list of databases recommended for English.

Search the Library Catalog

Advanced Search

Instantly Search Literature Databases

Keyword Searching

How do I …

  • Narrow down my search?
  • Know which part of my topic to search for?
  • Choose the topical keywords that will be the most descriptive?

Think about the important concepts and subject area of your topic. Choose keywords that you can use to search the databases.

Example: In the topic “How will global warming affect developing countries?” the important concepts are global warming and developing countries.

To make sure your search is effective, think of synonyms or additional words to describe your topic:

global warming
  • greenhouse effect
  • climate change
developing countries
  • developing nations
  • underdeveloped countries
  • third world

Most article databases, library catalogs, and search engines allow you to build searches by combining similar concepts with the word or. This will result in a broader search.

Example: "global warming" or "greenhouse effect" or "climate change"

This should find all articles containing any of these three terms.

English, Foreign Language, & Humanities Databases

Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, the following databases are relevant to the subject of English, Foreign Language, & Humanities:

Multidisciplinary Databases

English Databases

Humanities Databases

News & Current Events

eBooks & Reference Works

Theses & Dissertations