Finding Background Information: Background Info Databases

WIU has several databases for finding background information.  Knowing which to use (and how to use them to find background info) is half the battle. Here is a description that can steer you toward the right tool for the task!  Leveraging specialized academic databases and library catalogs gives you access to a more curated, higher-quality collection of sources, including peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and dissertations written by subject matter experts.

You can use advanced search functions, filters, and organizational tools in these databases to hone in on the most relevant and authoritative sources for your research topic. Online reference materials, government databases, and topic-specific websites can also supplement your research by providing reliable statistics, data sets, and expert analysis.

The GENERAL databases have both scholarly and academic articles.  You will want to sort the magazines and newspapers out from your searches to get the basic information. For these, you want to sort out and read newspaper and magazine articles using the limiters in each database.

When conducting research, it's important to distinguish between different types of periodicals, especially when using general databases that contain a mix of scholarly and non-academic sources. The key differences between newspaper/magazine articles and journal articles are:

Journal Articles:

• Publish original research, analysis, or theoretical contributions
• Undergo a rigorous peer-review process by subject matter experts
• Tend to be more technical, in-depth, and focused on advancing academic knowledge
• Provide comprehensive literature reviews, detailed methodology, and thorough discussion of findings
• Considered more authoritative and reliable for high-level research

Newspaper/Magazine Articles:

• Report on current events, trends, issues in a more accessible, journalistic style
• Provide general overviews, commentary, and context on topics of interest
• May have a particular editorial slant or viewpoint
• Intended for a broader, general audience rather than academic specialists
• Tend to be shorter, less technical, and focus more on anecdotes than rigorous analysis

When using general databases, it's important to leverage the search limiters and filters to separate these two types of sources. Newspaper and magazine articles can be very useful for gaining background knowledge, identifying important trends and issues, and finding timely, real-world examples and case studies. However, for the core of your research, you'll want to prioritize journal articles, as they provide the most authoritative, in-depth, and well-supported information to build a strong academic foundation and answer your research question. Combining both types of sources can create a comprehensive, well-rounded literature review to support your research goals.

The SPECIALIZED databases range from strictly newspapers and magazines to research articles that will show you both sides of the issue written by experts. In the case of the News databases, it's important to be able to sort out opinions and editorials, as well as the news articles. In the case of specialized research databases, it's helpful to be able to find the specific topic area you are looking for.

These databases contain a mix of news articles as well as background research articles by topic that will give you an overview and the pros and cons of each issue. By leveraging the search tools and filters in specialized databases, you can effectively separate the journal articles and news sources to build a comprehensive understanding of your research topic. Combining both types of sources can create a well-rounded literature review to support your research goals.