readysetresearch: Contemporary Issues: Start with POWER Databases

Finding & Using KEYWORDS to Search

Finding & Using Keywords

for Internet and Library Database Searching

Search Tips and Strategies:

The keywords you use can have a huge impact on the results of your search.
Every word counts! Avoid searching using sentences or entire questions.

You can identify keywords by scanning:

Your research questions
Articles found from background research
The index and bibliographies found at the end of books and articles

If you are still struggling:

Use a thesaurus to identify synonyms.
Find pictures related to your topic, then describe them.
Brainstorm keywords with a librarian, your instructor, or a friend.

Databases & Great Websites for These Topics

Issues / Debate

Use POWER Library to find newspaper, magazine, and journal articles, video, images, documents.

I want my eCard!

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: A Selection of Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
Features select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. By centering on the experiences and perspectives of African Americans, it is hoped that this collection imbues the study of Black history with a deeper understanding of the humanity of people who have pursued the quest for freedom, and the significance of movements like Black Lives Matter
Communications and Mass Media Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to academic journals and magazines focusing on all aspects of the communications field. Key subjects covered in the database include advertising and public relations, literature and writing, linguistics, and more.
Criminal Justice Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to academic journals and magazines on topics in criminal justice and related fields. Key subjects covered in the database include law, law enforcement, security, and terrorism.
Environmental Studies and Policy Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly journals, magazines, and other reference sources covering environmental issues and policies. The database includes diverse perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policymakers, and corporate interests.
Diversity Studies Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines that explore cultural differences, contributions, and influences in the global community. The database is a must-have for social science, history and liberal arts coursework.
Gender Studies Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides balanced coverage of this significant aspect of culture and society. The database offers access to scholarly journals and magazines covering topics including gender studies, family and marital issues, and more.
GreenFile This link opens in a new window
GreenFILE is a free research database covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more.
Pop Culture Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to scholarly journals and magazines that both analyze and contribute to popular culture. The database offers useful information for researchers in social science, history, art or liberal arts courses
Gale in Context: Middle School This link opens in a new window
Discover reliable and trusted information on a variety of topics to support middle school student research for government, U.S and world history, geography, literature, sciences, and social issues. ¬†Middle School offers cross-curricular content aligned to national and state standards, and presents material organized into a highly visual and topic portal approach to quickly find answer
Gale OneFile: High School Edition This link opens in a new window
Secondary school students will have access to age-appropriate content from magazines, journals, newspapers, reference books, and engaging multi-media covering a wide range of subjects, from science, history, and literature to political science, sports, and environmental studies
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Explore encyclopedias and specialized reference sources on a variety of topics from history, government, environment, math, and more!
AP Newsroom This link opens in a new window
View the greatest events in world history with photographs, audio sound bites, video, and graphics, for over 185 years. Over 3,000 photos/images/sound bites/graphics added daily, including audio and visual snapshots of:
Breaking news events
Today's hot topics
Great moments in news, sports and entertainment
Celebrity portraits
Find over 20 million royalty-free stock