How Do I Find Magazine/Newspaper Articles?
We have two searchable databases, EBSCOHost and Knowledge Ontario, available on our computers
which allow you to find articles from magazines, newspapers and other sources. These can be accessed
from school or home computers. Read on to find out more about these sites and to learn the basics of
using them by completing two short tutorials.
EBSCOHost:
What is EBSCOHost?
A searchable database which allows you to access articles from hundreds of magazines, newspapers,
biographies, reference works, maps and photos. It is an excellent source for current information on many
of your research topics. The database includes the past several years of periodicals as well as several other
types of resources. A separate component allows you to research lists of novels.
How do I access EBSCOhost?
From school:
log on to a computer and select Courseware/the Library folder/Ebsco
From home:
Access the internet, and type the following address (URL) into the address bar
http://search.ebscohost.com/
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Save this site to your ‘Favourites’ by clicking on the button and then on ‘Add to
favourites’. This will save you time the next time you want to use it.
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login
User ID: westside
Password: second
How do I find the information I need?
The first screen for Westside Secondary School gives you several options. The databases that you will find
most useful are:
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Novelist - Your guide to selecting fiction for your reading pleasure.
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EBSCOhost web - The most versatile for your basic research needs. It will give you articles from
magazines, newspapers, books, primary sources and images.
•
Literary Reference Center - Provides literary criticism.
•
Canadian Student Research Center - Similar to EBSCOhost except it has a Canadian focus.
•
Auto Repair Reference Center - A wealth of information on the care, maintenance and
troubleshooting of most automobile models.
•
Canadian points of view - presents controversial essays with a Canadian focus.
Complete the short tutorial on the back of this page to learn the basics of using these databases. For more
in depth techniques try the EBSCOHost Support and Training link or talk to your teacher/librarian.
EBSCOHost Tutorial:
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After logging on to the ‘Student Research Centre’ enter the word ‘cancer’ on the Basic
Search screen. How many articles did you find? _________________
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Obviously you may want to narrow your search down a bit. Here are two fast ways to do
that using the Basic Search.
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Filter your results by specifying one type of source. Across the page you should see
icons for several sources such as Magazines, Newspapers and Reference Works.
Click on the icon for Magazines. How many articles do you have now?
__________________
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Another way to narrow down your search is to add more information to your search.
Try changing the search to ‘cancer and lung’. How many hits do you have now?
___________________
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Now try ‘cancer and lung and women’ in magazines only. You now get
______________________ hits. The more information you can add the better your
results will be.
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To make your search even more specific try the ‘Advanced Search’ link at the top
of the page.
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You will have to rearrange your search terms on the Advanced Search screen. In the
screens beside ‘Find’ enter ‘cancer’ on the first line, ‘lung’ on the second and
‘women’ on the third.
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Below that screen you will see a heading ‘Include when searching’. This allows you
to be very specific in your search. Try this: under ‘Document Types’ remove the
checkmarks for all options except magazines. Then under ‘Limit your results’ for
the ‘Published Date’ enter January 2005 to January 2010 and click on the search
button at the top of the page. This will limit your search to magazine articles
published between those dates.
How many hits do you have now? ________________
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Using the advanced search option allows you to add a lot more information in your
searching. You can specify a certain publication or look for an article you
remembered recently. Try experimenting with some of the options to learn how this
feature works.
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Remember that you can access this resource from your home computer too!!!
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If you have more questions please talk to your teacher/librarian.