L416: Perspectives on American Consumerism
Business/SPEA Information Commons
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to Midnight
Friday: 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to Midnight
Need Research or Library Help?
E-mail: Christina Sheley: cmwilkin@indiana.edu or Melanie Groth: mgroth@indiana.edu
Chat: Enter a question in the chat box below for immediate help (available until 11:30 p.m., Sunday-Thursday)
Where to Search?
The databases below can be used to find articles for your exploratory research essay and final paper. These resources can only be accessed through the IUB Libraries' website or this class page.
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ABI/INFORM Complete is a library database that provides access to scholarly and trade journal articles focused on business and financial information, management techniques, business trends, management practice and theory, corporate strategy and tactics, and the competition environment. |
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Academic Search is a library database that provides access to scholarly and long-form magazine articles for multiple disciplines. |
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Factiva is a library database that provides access to general news and business articles. |
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JSTOR is a library database that provides access to scholarly journal articles in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. |
The resources above are only a select list owned by the IUB Libraries. Additional suggestions can be found using the IUB Libraries Subject Pages.
How to Search article databases?
General Strategy:
- Consider keywords and controlled vocabulary
- Create a search statement
- Utilize database features
- Change approaches as necessary
Consider Keywords and Controlled Vocabulary
The most difficult part of conducting a good search is not figuring out which buttons to push, but rather, in figuring out which terms to use and how to combine them to find literature that is "on topic."
Generating Keywords:
Determine keywords from your topic, research question, or thesis. Note possible synonyms, broader, narrower, and related terms.
Topic: Christmas and consumerism
| Keywords: |
Christmas |
consumerism |
| Synonyms: |
Xmas or X-mas or XMAS |
overspending |
| Broader: |
holidays |
consumption (economics) |
| Related: |
Christmas gifts |
Black Friday |
Controlled Vocabulary:
Many databases have some form of controlled or standardized vocabulary. One term is selected as the "preferred" word for describing information and searching. These standardized words and concepts can be called "subject" terms or "descriptors." Words selected for controlled vocabularies are decided by specialists in information science and/or academic disciplines.
The most difficult part of conducting a good search is not figuring out which buttons to push, but rather, in figuring out which terms to use and how to combine them to find literature that is "on topic."
Boolean Operators (Combining Keywords & Controlled Vocabulary):
Combine keywords and controlled vocabulary together in differing combinations using Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT).
Use "AND" to Narrow Search (Christmas and consumerism)
This directs the database to produce records that include all the search terms that were used--all terms and concepts that are entered must be in each of the resulting records. The more search terms used, the more specific, and thus narrow, the results will be.
Use "OR" to Broaden Search (consumerism or overspending)
This directs the database to produce records that will include either search term used. The more search terms connected with "or," the broader the results will be.
Truncation, Wildcards, and Phrases:
You can refine searches with truncation. This allows you to search for variant forms of a word (consumer*=consumer, consumers, consumerism). Variations of words can be searched by adding or replacing characters at the end, beginning, or middle of a word with a wildcard (wom*n=woman, women). Use quotes ("") to search as a phrase.
In order to search effectively and save time, it is important to become familiar with the database being used. The searching methods vary from database to database; however, most have the following functions.
Basic Search:
Typically, the basic search box only searches one field, which may or may not be predetermined. The basic search is useful to determine how big the collection of articles related to the topic is, which will help in generating search strategies. It is also helpful when doing a known item search, for example when the exact article title is known.
Advanced Searches:
The advanced search function gives more control to the user and allows for a more refined search. Multiple search terms in multiple fields can be searched simultaneously. The advanced search should be used when the collection of interested articles is large and needs to be narrowed. It is also useful when information from more than one field would help in locating an item of interest.
Limits:
Many databases have limits that control the available articles by specified parameters (e.g., date, format, material type, language, or location). This feature is helpful to eliminate records that are outside the selected limits, such as if only review articles are needed or if articles in the last five years are of interest.
Which article to Use?
There are several factors to consider when choosing articles to use for your essay and paper. First, look at the perspective and agenda of the journal where the article is published. Next, look at the author that has produced the information. Publications and authors have varying levels of expertise, bias, use, etc.--all of which have a great impact on the information included. The IUB Libraries Evaluating Information page can help you examine potential sources for use.
Read the article abstract to help you identify whether an article is appropriate to use. If a found article is not quite what you need, refine your search. You can also consult the references or works cited list at the end of a scholarly article and use the citations to point you toward other sources of information.
What to Cite?
You need to cite sources if they are directly quoted and/or paraphrased in your work. In addition, you should cite if reading a source contributed to the ideas presented in your paper. Citations allow readers to locate and further explore the sources you consulted, show the depth and scope of your research, and give credit to authors for his/her ideas. APA, Chicago, and MLA are the most frequently used documentation styles.
