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FINDING NEWS ARTICLES

ON THE INTERNET

see bottom of page for more

SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR NEWS ARTICLES

Less Effective Method:
 - Some Newspapers have an archive that may be searched
   (often up to 7 days for free)
   eg./ Toronto Star
 - See Online Newspapers for direct access to some Canadian
           and International newspaper sites
  More Effective Method:
 - Several Internet search engines support an ADVANCED SEARCH option. 
   For this exercise, we suggest using Google's Advanced News Search.
 - Search may be limited by date, locale, publication
 - New results for a given search may be forwarded by email  (Pls. see below)
 

GOOGLE ADVANCED NEWS SEARCH

Go to Google's Advanced News Search now.

  • Choose time frame (anytime to specific time span)
  • Enter search terms
  • choose publication / country (optional)
  • Sort by Relevance (default) or Sort by Date
  • Section of newspaper would indicated either via highlighting or other text

     
  • A News Alert can be created in Google News saving the search and allowing for easy monitoring of new items on your topic -- anything new can be automatically sent to user's email.
  Sample News Search

Browse Google News by Section
eg./
GOOGLE NEWS CANADA - BUSINESS

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SEARCHING DATABASES FOR NEWS ARTICLES

KEYWORD SEARCHES ON DATABASES / ARCHIVES

  • Choose database(s) -- Newspaper or Current Events type
  • Type topic under preferred field (eg. Subject)
  • Use the correct Boolean logic (how keywords are combined)
    (eg./ (...) to group) as needed. Some databases default to phrase search while others may default to an AND search.
  • The operators AND, OR, NOT are selected via their appropriate boxes
    or
  • they may be inserted as part of a search string -- when using the operators as part of the search string, type the operator in upper case.

eg./

 

MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER & JOURNAL DATABASES

  • Select preferred package of databases:
    from our YRDSB list of packages or directly from
     
    - InfoTrac by Thomson / Gale (Home access requires password)
      
    - Ebscohost's Canadian Points of View
     - or -
                from
    Vaughan Public Libraries - Online Databases (VPL membership required)

  • Select appropriate database(s) within preferred package (choose newspaper and/or current events type database(s) for NEWS articles)

  • Choose "Advanced Search" tab

  • Ensure Fulltext selected

  • type keyword(s):

    • combine keywords needed with AND operator

    • search most important keywords in Subject field (or broaden search to default fields if necessary)

    • use truncation as required

    • cluster similar concepts if necessary to optimize on line limitations

    • check assigned subject headings of highly relevant articles for alternate keywords

    • no one perfect strategy -- play around for the one that works best for given search

  • Sort by DATE

Infotrac articles may be emailed directly to user

Articles from Newspapers databases will show section of newspaper in which article is printed (eg/ Editorial, etc.)

BROWSING THE MAGAZINE, NEWSPAPER AND JOURNAL DATABASES / ARCHIVES
(our examples below are from Ebscohost)
  1. Select preferred package of databases from below (InfoTrac, etc.)
     
  2. Select appropriate single database within preferred package (choose a newspaper and/or current events type database for NEWS articles)
     
  3. Click on Publications
  1. Browse publications: alphabetically, by subject, or via keyword

  1. Choose desired publication to browse

  1. Choose specific issue for all contents of that issue
      May 2009 opens to  

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Google Advanced Search
for general web pages -- not necessarily NEWS articles

  • Choose root word -- (eg./ ergonomic also finds ergonomics)

  • When using the operators as part of the search string, type the operator in upper case

  • Do not use truncation symbol

 

Sample keywords using Google's Advanced Search:

Sample Google Advanced Search:



is the same as


 
THE NEWSTAND

Computer Dictionaries (Google search)

Literacy How To's - Evaluating sources & Bibliographic Citations

Easybib.com

How to Write an Abstract
Careers Page
How to Write Opinion Pieces / Editorials
How to Write Article Reviews  


 

alternately use GOOGLE ADVANCED SEARCH     

last updated 11/13/09

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Westmount C.I.