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Contemporary Issues

Databases and Indexes

Use the following electronic and print indexes to find articles about your topic. You may narrow your search by using your topic in combination with keywords such as "opinion," "editorial" or "editorials," "arguments," "against" "pro or pros," "con or cons," "statistics," etc.
 
Database that abstracts and indexes over 3,200 periodicals (magazines, journals, newspapers), and offers full text (often dating back to 1990) for over 1,000 journals.
 
Alternative Press Index
Main Library Reference AI 3 .A27 (1969-2014)
A comprehensive guide to alternative sources of information, as it indexes nearly 300 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines. Coverage is international and interdisciplinary.
 
Provides indexed and abstracted references, many with accompanying full-text articles, from about 13,000 periodicals.
 
A collection of in-depth and fact-checked reports on pressing domestic and international issues. Full-length articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research. Graphics, photos and short "sidebar" features round out the reports. Shorter "Hot Topics" articles provide a solid introduction to subjects most in demand by students.
 
ERIC (1966+)
This is the primary database in the field of education. It indexes scholarly journals as well as ERIC documents.
 
Contains articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic, minority, and native press. Database is in both English and Spanish.
 
GenderWatch (1970+)
Focuses on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas. Supports programs in various social science subject areas. Publications include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books, pamphlets, conference proceedings, and government reports.
 
Nexis Uni (coverage varies)
An excellent source for full-text newspapers, press releases, and television and radio broadcast transcripts.
 
Complete full-text content of local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries, and people in the community. Paid advertisements are excluded.
 
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (1890+)
Online version (1890-1982)
Main Library Reference AI 3 .R48 (1900-2010)
Provides access to the contents of over 300 popular English-language magazines and journals. The printed volumes have the advantage of uniform subject headings and detailed sub-headings.
 
Provides access to the five most respected U.S. national and regional newspapers: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and The Wall Street Journal.

Where's the Full Text?

If a database search tells you about an article but the full text of the article is not there, look for the "Get Full Text" link or icon. Integrated by the UCF Libraries into many databases, "Get Full Text" helps obtain the article in one of three ways:

> If an article cited in one database is available in full text in another online source, there will be a direct link to the full article or, in a few cases, to the journal.

> If the journal in which an article appeared is available in hard copy in the UCF Libraries, there will be a link to the UCF Library Catalog. Click on that link and then check "Holdings" to see if the article is owned by UCF.

> If the article is not available electronically or in hard copy at UCF, there will be a link to Interlibrary Loan Request which will bring up a form through which to request the UCF Libraries to obtain the article from another library.

Interlibrary Loan

The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service enables current UCF students, faculty, and staff to borrow materials — such as periodical articles — from other libraries that are not available at the UCF Libraries.