ENGL 100 - Expository Writing

This guide provides research help for assignments in all sections of ENGL 100.

Library Research Guide

Searching tips: databases

Searching these resources is different from searching the Internet. K-State Libraries pays to subscribe to the databases; they are not found in an online search. Their content is collected and maintained by various companies and organizations.

Keywords: Before you begin, break your topic into key concepts; think about the terminology/keywords you wish to search for and possible synonyms.
Subject Headings: Look for "Subject Headings," "Subjects," "Keywords" or "Descriptors" to help narrow your search. Different databases may recognize different terms. As you find these tags, construct your search using the language/terminology of that database.
Truncation: Use "truncation" (an asterisk at end of word stem): teen* searches for "teen", "teens", "teenager", "teenagers", etc. by adding all possible endings.
Wildcard: Use "wildcard" (a quotation mark inside a word): wom?n searches for "women" or "woman".
Help: When you're in a database, look for its “Help” section.

Advanced Search: Look for the "Guided Search" or "Advanced Search" options so that you have more search boxes.

AND = both concepts must be present, helps limit the search (Ex. stormwater AND management)
OR = great for synonyms (Ex. "universal design" OR "inclusive design")
NOT = exclude an unrelated term (Ex. "nigel coates" NOT "book review")

Get It: No full text available? Click on the "Get It" button to search for the article in our database subscriptions. If it's not there, it will look for a print copy available on campus or through Interlibrary Loan.

Useful databases for your assignments

The following databases have been identified as good starting places for all assignments that require outside sources: the exploratory essay, the community informative report, informative report, and the writing in the disciplines report.

Of course, you can always supplement your search by going to the databases page on the libraries' website.

Diversity Database Suite

Paid for by K-State Libraries
Provides a combined search for Ethnic NewsWatch and Ethnic NewsWatch History which feature newspapers, magazines, and journals from ethnic and minority presses; GenderWatch which features historical and current perspectives of gender roles; and Alt-PressWatch which showcases some of the nation’s most respected and cited grassroots publications. Searches can be narrowed to peer-reviewed publications.
Education Full Text

Publication Dates Covered: Indexing 1983 - present; full text 1996 - present Simultaneous users: 8 Paid for by K-State Libraries
Includes full-text education journals that cover the essentials of education and related fields of study, including in-depth coverage of special education. Contains some publications not covered in ERIC.
ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)

Publication Dates Covered: 1966 - present Paid for by K-State Libraries
Non-K-Staters: use this link
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, ERIC provides coverage of journal articles, conferences, meetings, government documents, theses, dissertations, reports, audiovisual media, bibliographies, directories, and books on education-related topics. Links to some full-text articles. ERIC also has an excellent thesaurus.
Newspaper Source Plus

Paid for by K-State Libraries
Contains more than 1,000 full-text newspapers, television and radio news transcripts, videos, and podcasts from around the world.
ProQuest Central

Paid for by K-State Libraries
ProQuest Central brings together many of the most used ProQuest databases. It provides access to databases across all major subject areas (business, health and medical, social sciences, arts and humanities, education, science and technology, and religion). It includes full-text scholarly journals, trade and professional titles, newspapers, magazines, dissertations, working papers, case studies, and market reports. With our Ebook Central subscription (especially access to Academic Complete and Academic Video Online) users can now search in a comprehensive way that connects text and video.