The powerful researcher

Posted on by Susan Schafer

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Inundated with papers to write this semester and having a hard time finding current, reputable sources? Do you want to read the controversial article that was debated on a Sunday talk show? Are you curious to learn more about current events such as what lead to the crisis in Syria?

With Academic Search Premier you have access to a large collection of journals updated daily. The collection includes 13,000+ journals of which 4,000+ are full-text.

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If accessing from home, you will be prompted to login with your Library barcode and your four digit PIN. You can do a basic keyword search, but if your search results in too many articles to wade through, you can control your search using limiters. Some of the limiters offered are:

  • Publication type
  • Date published
  • Peer-reviewed
  • Full-text
  • Publication title

Let’s say you are interested in finding out more about ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria)

Type ISIS in the basic search box. A drop down menu opens with suggestions that include “ISIS terrorist group.”
Choose that suggestion, and Academic Search Premier begins searching for articles. Your results list includes more than 1,600 hits, too many to be useful.

Start narrowing your search. Choose the full-text option, eliminating abstract-only articles. The results now total over 300, but you can limit the search even more.

You decide to limit by Source Type and click on “Show More” which allows you to choose more than one kind of publication. You choose to look at Academic Journals, Trade Publications and Newspapers.

The results list is now narrowed to just over 20 articles. You have a manageable list of articles from authoritative publications such as Foreign Affairs, National Defense, and World Affairs written by specialists in their field.

Academic Search Premier is an excellent tool for academic and general educational research. If you would like further instruction on using this database, come in or call 785-580-4555, and the Library’s reference staff will be happy to assist you.

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I am a Public Services Specialist working in reference and media. Additionally, I am involved with the library’s Book Groups in a Bag, a collection that is dear to my heart. Not surprisingly, I like to read, especially historical mysteries. I love to travel, and I have a very long list of places I want to visit.