Use Journal Locator to determine whether the MU Library has access to a specific journal or magazine. The article you want may not be available in a database, but could be available in print. Print holdings of journals can be found on the Library's lower level. These are shelved alphabetically by title. Click here to view a Journal Locator Tutorial.
Here is what Wikipedia itself has to say about using Wikipedia for academic research:
".... citation of Wikipedia in research papers may be considered unacceptable, because Wikipedia is not considered a credible or authoritative source. This is especially true considering anyone can edit the information given at any time.
Follow two simple rules:
1) Do your research properly. Remember that any encyclopedia is a starting point for research, not an ending point.
2) Use your judgment. Remember that all sources have to be evaluated."
For more on what Wikipedia says about Wikipedia and academic research, see:
Wikipedia: Researching with Wikipedia
You may also want to use the new Cite Unseen widget, which scrolls through citations in Wikipedia articles and inserts icons denoting the type/reliability of each source listed.
For information on topics for Mass Media & Popular Culture, you will need to consult our Research Databases for scholarly journal articles and other resources. Below are some suggestions for databases that will be most helpful to you.
Scholarly and peer-reviewed articles report on new research. They are published in discipline-specific academic journals in order to make such information available to other scholars and academics.
Popular |
Trade |
Scholarly |
· Colorful covers · Glossy paper · Ads · Articles on current events · General interest · Short articles · Written by general staff · Reviewed by general editor · No bibliographies or footnotes · Usually called magazine |
· Glossy · Ads · Articles on industry trends · Short articles · Written for members of specific industry · Written by staff or experts in the field · Short or no bibliographies |
· Plain cover, plain paper · No ads · Primary research, theories, methodologies · Lengthy, in-depth articles · Written for researchers & professionals · Written by experts in the field & researchers · Peer review by subject experts · Extensive bibliographies & references |
Use the word "AND" to combine your keywords to make your search more specific, e.g. "substance abuse" AND "domestic violence."
Use synonyms and alternative or related terms - broader or narrower - to expand your relevant results, e.g. "teenagers" | "adolescents" | "youth"
Use truncation "*" to search for words with common roots without entering them individually, e.g. searching for teen* retrieves "teen," "teens", "teenaged", "teenagers." Use the "star" symbol (hit "shift" key + 8) to add truncation to your search term.
You can limit search results in many databases to academic/peer-reviewed journals, by publication date, or full-text only.
Search Google Scholar for scholarly full-text materials available in addition to those you locate in HawkFind. Follow links to the right of search results to view full article when available. Check out the video below (created by Concordia University) for search tips!