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SLS1101 Kauffmann Mueller: Articles

This guide provides resources for students enrolled in Laura Kauffmann's Student Success course (SLS1101).

When to Use Databases

Databases contain online versions of newspapers, magazines, journals, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and book chapters. Since you access databases online, many people think they are websites. They are NOT websites. You must log in to gain access to databases because they are proprietary resources leased for use by IRSC students and employees. 

When searching databases, you can be more specific with your keywords for a more precise list of results. You can search within the title, abstract, or full text of the item. The hardest part of searching databases is knowing which one to choose. The IRSC list of databases offers brief information about each resource. You can also view the databases recommended by subject to help you more easily select appropriate databases. 

Finding Articles Online

ARTICLES

Use IRSC's ONLINE DATABASES to find articles on your topic. The databases also contain books and many interesting articles from major newspapers and other well known publications.

The databases gather the best information for your research, so you don't have to sift through the myriad of resources available on the Web.

Here are suggested databases  for your research.

Scholarly versus Popular

Scholarly articles are:

in-depth |  written by experts   validated with technical language, abstracts, literature reviews, methodologies, tables, graphs, and conclusions |  reviewed by experts | given a bibliography

Popular articles are:

brief overviews of topics |  written by journalists |  easily read by most people |  illustrated with colorful photographs or pictures reviewed by editors | not given a bibliography

Database Login for Students

To log in to the databases, you will use the same Rivermail e-mail address and password you set up to log into MyPioneerPortal. First-time users of MyPioneerPortal can create their password by following the instructions you receive in your activation email. To reset your password, select "Need help signing in." The librarians cannot reset MyPioneerPortal passwords, if you need additional assistance visit the tutorial on MyPioneerPortal. 

MyPioneerPortal Login

Primary versus Secondary Sources

Primary sources:

provide direct or firsthand evidence of an event or person |  creative sources can be primary sources  historical documents |  legal documents statistics | interviews video recordings | audio recordings photographs correspondence including emails and letters

Secondary sources:

provide a summary, analysis, evaluation, or opinion about primary sources | journal articles |  literary criticism | books | films and documentaries