What is the difference between a popular and a scholarly source?
If you are not familiar with scholarly publications, it can be difficult to tell the difference between scholarly and popular periodicals. There are no definitive rules for distinguishing between the two, but here are some guidelines:
Scholarly (e.g., academic journals):
- Are written by professionals within an academic field or discipline.
- Contain research projects, methodology, and theory.
- Have few, if any, advertisements.
- Use college-level or specialized vocabulary of the discipline.
- Include articles with extensive bibliographies, footnotes, or other documentation.
- Contain graphics that are often black & white and consist of tables, charts, and diagrams.
- Are peer-reviewed or refereed.
Popular (e.g., magazines, newspapers):
- Are written by journalists.
- Contain general news articles written to inform, update, or introduce a new issue.
- Have many full-color, full-page advertisements.
- Use a general, non-technical vocabulary.
- Include articles with little or no documentation.
- Contain graphics that are often full-color pictures and illustrations.
Why Use A Database?
Search a database to find journal, magazine, or newspaper articles. Some databases also provide access to other materials such as dissertations, book chapters, books, sound recordings, videos, etc.
Some databases have the full text or abstracts (summaries) of articles, if not, follow these instructions to figure out if the library has the journal.
Multi-Subject Databases
These databases cover NAS and other disciplines.
- Academic Search Complete (Ebsco)References and links to the full text of popular and scholarly articles and book reviews. Some PDF content going back as far as 1887.
- Article1stReferences to magazine and journal articles and book reviews.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global (was Dissertation Abstracts)Citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day. Over a million full-text dissertations are available for download in PDF format; most full text is for dissertations since 1997. Also includes UK & Ireland content.
NOTE: Many universities have started archiving dissertations locally rather than through this database. Try a search in Worldcat, note the name of the institution where the dissertation was written, and go to that institution's catalog to see if a copy is in a local repository.
Most OU dissertations are full text through summer 2013; after that date, find OU dissertations in SHAREOK. - JSTORFull text and complete archives of core scholarly journals in many disciplines, some dating from the 1600s. Current issues may not be available.
- Project MuseFull text of scholarly journals in the humanities, arts, and social sciences.
- Web of Science (Arts & Humanities,1975- ; Social Sciences, 1898- ; Sciences, 1899- )Multidisciplinary index. Includes a "cited reference" search: click "Web of Science" then "Cited Reference Search." This type of search allows you to find articles that cite a previously published work.
Other Relevant Databases
These databases provide access to material in various subject areas that have proven useful to NAS students in the past. Think about your topic, and decide which subject database, below, may cover it. Other subjects, and links to relevant databases, are listed here: http://libraries.ou.edu/eresources/ and research guides here: http://guides.ou.edu.
- ABI/INFORM CompleteFocus is on business and management topics, but includes many other subjects as well. Full text and references to journal and magazine articles.
- America: History and Life (Ebsco)U.S. and Canadian topics, prehistory to the present. References of links to the full text of journal articles, books, book reviews, dissertations, etc.
- Art Index (with Retrospective 1929- )Includes materials on traditional art, art history, archaeology, architecture, fashion design, interior design, visual art, and non-western art. References to journal articles, yearbooks, and museum bulletins.
- ATLA Religion Database (Ebsco)Biblical studies, world religions, church history, etc. References to or full text of journal articles, essays, book reviews.
- ERICEducation literature 1966-present, including journal articles and ERIC documents.
- HeinOnlineFull text of legal periodicals.
- MEDLINE (via Ovid) (1950- )Medicine, dentistry, nursing, and other health fields. References to journal articles.
- Music IndexInternational index covering international music periodicals with a broad range of subject matter. Materials indexed include historiographic, ethnographic, and musicological data, reviews, tapes and performances.
- PAIS Index (Proquest)Public and social policy issues, foreign and domestic. References to or full text of journal articles, government documents, books, pamphlets, yearbooks, statistical directories, grey literature, and more.
- PsycINFO (ca. 1800- )Psychology and other social and behavioral sciences. References to journal articles, book chapters, books and dissertations.
- SocINDEX (1895- )Sociology and other social and behavioral sciences. References to journal articles, books, and conference papers.
Current News
These databases provide access to current newspaper articles. Dates vary, but generally, 1980s-present. See also Newspapers and Magazines Guide and Microform Collections - Newspapers.
- Access World News (~1980s-present; Newsbank)A Metropolitan Library (OKC public) database. Sign up for a library card if you don't have one. Explore and stay informed on local and national topics, people and events in areas such as business, health, education, jobs and careers, political and social issues and more. Features a wide variety of credible, vetted news sources spanning the U.S., including The Oklahoman and Tulsa World.
- America's News (~1980s-present; Newsbank)Newspaper articles, news blogs, magazines, newswires, journals, transcripts, videos, and web-only news sources. Includes the Oklahoman from 1981 onward and the Oklahoman Web Edition from 2013 onward.
- Black Life in America, Series 3 (1976-present; Newsbank)Part of the America's News database. American and global news sources, including over 400 current and historical Black publications.
- Current Newspapers (Proquest)Includes the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.
- Ethnic Newswatch Complete (1959-present; Proquest)Newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press.
- Factiva Academic Edition (~1970s-present; Dow Jones)U.S. and world newspapers and business and company information. Html text only. No images. NOTE: Database opening screen is "company snapshots." Click Search > Search Builder for newspapers. Some newspapers are not available in the academic version of Factiva.
- Hispanic Life in America, Series 3 (2010-present; Newsbank)Part of the America's News database, including 700 Spanish-language newspapers and periodicals
- U.S. Newspapers (ProQuest)Includes these U.S. papers:
-Chicago Tribune, 1849-present;
-Los Angeles Times, 1881-present;
-New York Times, 1851-present;
-Wall Street Journal, 1889-present;
-Washington Post, 1877-2007, 2008-present.
(The UK's Guardian and Observer, 1791-2003, is also included in this search as are papers from the Historically Black Newspapers collection.) - International News - LinksLinks to news and media sites around the world.
- Newspaper Source Plus (~1980s-present; Ebsco)More than 500 U.S. newspapers and 600 international newspapers, as well as newswires, and radio and television transcripts.
- Newswires (Ebsco)Near real-time access to top world-wide news from Associated Press on a continuous basis. Provides access to the last 30 days of articles in full-text.
- NYTimes.com (Current)Users must create an account to access NYTimes.com. Click here to set up your NYTimes.com account.
- Nexis Uni (~1970s-present; LexisNexis)News, business, and legal sources. Html text only. No images. NOTE: OU Libraries will cease subscribing to Nexis Uni, effective July 1, 2024. More information about this decision, as well as a list of databases covering the content in Nexis Uni, is available.
- Oklahoman Archive (1901-present; Newsbank)A Pioneer Library System (Norman) database. Sign up for a library card if you don't have one. The Oklahoman, formerly The Daily Oklahoman. Full text of images to 1991. Text only 1992-2019. NOTE: Scroll down and click on Oklahoman Archive - Newsbank. Click link for additional login options, type Pioneer for library name, and then enter your library card number. This database may not work on the OU campus.
- Oklahoman Archives (The Oklahoman, formerly The Daily Oklahoman, 1901-March 3, 2022)—Update: as of 2-5-2024, the database is still available. Due to the large size of the archive, searches may need to be limited with a date range in order to return results.
Because Gannett found this database unprofitable, beginning February 3rd, 2022, the full Oklahoman Archives will no longer be available. Access to 1981-present. For other ways to access online content see this blog post. - Oklahoman Collection (1901-present; Newsbank)A Metropolitan Library (OKC public) database. Sign up for a library card if you don't have one. The Oklahoman, formerly The Daily Oklahoman. Full text of images to 1991. Text only 1992-2019.
- Oklahoma News (~1980s-present; Newsbank)A Metropolitan Library (OKC public) database. Sign up for a library card if you don't have one. Provides full-text access to dozens of newspapers across Oklahoma. Includes full-text and image editions of The Oklahoman and Tulsa World.
- Regional Business News Plus (Ebsco)U.S. and international publications, including newspapers, radio and TV news transcripts, trade publications, magazines, newswires, and videos.
- Tulsa World (and title variants)1906-2018 on microfilm. 4th floor East, outside former Government Documents Department. Online: 1989-present.
- Wall Street Journal (current)Users must create an account using their OU credentials in order to use this resource and will need to refresh their access on an annual basis.
Databases
This page lists the major databases for Native American Studies, multi-subject databases, relevant databases from other disciplines, and current newspapers.
Native American Studies
These are the major databases for finding articles and other materials related to Native American Studies.
- American Indians and the American West (1809-1971; Proquest History Vault)The database contains a large variety of collections from the U.S. National Archives, a series of collections from the Chicago History Museum, as well as selected first-hand accounts on Indian Wars and westward migration.
- American Indian Histories and CulturesFour centuries of history, from early contact to the modern era, are featured in this resource. Coverage includes peoples of North and Central America; materials include manuscripts, illustrations, newspapers, books, photos and maps. Cross-searchable with the American West database.
- American Indian Law Collection (HeinOnline)Provides full-text access to over 800 primary and secondary titles relating to American Indian law. This collection includes treaties, federal statutes and regulations, federal case law, and tribal codes, constitutions and jurisprudence. This library also features rare compilations edited by Felix S. Cohen.
- Anthropology PlusProvides access to Anthropological Literature and Anthropological Index. Covers the fields of anthropology, archaeology, art history, demography, economics, psychology, and religious studies. Materials indexed include journal articles, book series, reports, commentaries, obituaries, and the complete contents of Anthropological Literature: An Index to Periodical Articles and Essays.
- Bibliography of Indigenous Peoples in North America (Ebsco)Formerly Bibliography of Native North Americans (BNNA). Native North American history, life, and culture. References to journal articles, books, essays, conference papers, dissertations, U.S. government documents.
- Early Encounters in North AmericaFull text of letters, diaries, memoirs, and accounts of early encounters with Native Americans; dates vary.
- Ethnic Newswatch (Proquest)American and international minority and native press. Full text of newspapers, magazines, and journals.
- Indigenous Peoples: North America, Parts 1 and 2Includes correspondence, pamphlets, draft legislation, manuscripts, monographs, newspapers, photographs, motion pictures, images of artwork, the papers of Indian Rights Association founder Herbert Welsh and more.
- Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts1973 - present. Covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Complete coverage is also given to various fields of linguistics including descriptive, historical, comparative, theoretical and geographical linguistics.
- Native Health DatabaseReferences and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations. The database provides information for the benefit, use, and education of organizations and individuals with an interest in health-related issues, programs, and initiatives regarding North American indigenous peoples.
- North American Indian Thought and CultureIncludes full text of Doris Duke Indian Oral History project (1967-1972), also available here:http://digital.libraries.ou.edu/whc/duke/.