View a tutorial -- What is a library database?
Off campus access: Requires netID@my.lsco.edu/Password after you click the database name. Some articles are available in PDF format, which requires the free reader software on to your computer.
Reference databases provide articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries or other reference-type books. It is a good idea to start researching in reference databases to gain a broad understanding of a topic, and to help you to focus your topic. Using the A-Z Databases page, use the Database Types dropdown menu to filter for reference databases.
Many of our databases are collections of articles from magazines and journals. Use one of these databases to find more recent and specific information on a topic, after you have read some background in one of the reference databases.
1. Academic Search Complete - has more than 8500 different magazines and scholarly journals available in full-text. Use the check box for a "full-text only" limit. Then limit search results to magazines on the left side of results screen. Magazine articles are generally better adapted to research for speeches, unless your topic is more scholarly. Scholarly journals include academic research articles that are very narrow and specific in their focus.
2. Masterfile Complete - similar to the database above with many popular magazines not available in Academic Search Complete (Consumer Reports, Jet, Autoweek, etc.) Try both of these databases.
3. Business Source Complete - articles from magazines and journals in the business world, including information about companies and products, articles from marketing, management, accounting and finance.
4. Health Source / Consumer edition - health-related articles from leading magazines and journals aimed at the health care consumer rather than the professional. Use it for any health-related speech topic.
5. Opposing Viewpoints in Context - use this database for your persuasive speech. It presents background and pro/con arguments for current issues, including articles from well-known news magazines. On the topic page for any topic, look near the bottom for the box titled "Magazines," and click "view all." Both conservative and liberal magazines are represented for any issue.
Daily newspapers provide the most recent articles that can be found about a news event. So look in a newspaper database for anything that has happened recently. When you need persuasive speech ideas, look for a newspaper editorial, or commentary from a weekly news publication such as Newsweek or Time. You can find databases that contain newspapers by using the Database Types filter on the A-Z Databases page.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context is one of our most popular databases. Use this database for your persuasive speech. It has numerous pro and con arguments for all aspects of current issues including editorial articles from newspapers. After selecting a topic, look for the box titled News and click "View all" to see many newspaper articles on a specific topic.
Fall/Spring Semesters
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Summer Semesters
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: Closed
Intersessions/Mini-sessions
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: Closed