Selected Databases from the UI Libraries
Below are a few databases for finding articles in scholarly journals, magazines, and newspapers. You can find the full list by subject or A-Z through the Library's website under Databases. These databases often provide full-text articles. If not, click the gold UILink 
button to check options.
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowWritten by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. CQ Researcher provides in-depth coverage of the most important issues of the day.
- Gale Opposing ViewpointsOpposing Viewpoints in Context offers an engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information and opinions on hundreds of today's hottest social issues.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowGale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
- Academic Search Elite This link opens in a new windowThis multi-disciplinary database offers full text for nearly 2,000 scholarly journals, including more than 1,500 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as 1985. This database is updated on a daily basis.
- JSTOR (Journal Storage) This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Provides image and full-text online access to back issues of selected scholarly journals in history, economics, political science, philosophy, mathematics and other fields of the humanities and social sciences. Consult the online tables of contents for holdings, as coverage varies for each titles. Journals may be searched across multiple titles as well as by the individual titles below
Note that this database comprises mostly back issues: for most titles the JSTOR database does NOT include full text of the most recent 3 to 5 years. - Readers' Guide Retrospective This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive index to the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States. This database is available through WilsonWeb and covers the time period from 1890-1982. (Formerly on WilsonWeb)
- Alt-Press Watch This link opens in a new windowFull-text database indexes over 250 alternative, radical and left periodicals, newspapers and magazines. Includes selected abstracts from research journals. (Main Library Reference Area holds vol. 1- July 1969- to present in the paper edition.)
- Access World News Research Collection This link opens in a new windowCurrent and archived information from thousands of local, regional, national, and international news sources. Find diverse perspectives on topics related to business and economics, controversial issues, criminal justice, education, environmental studies, health, international studies, performing and fine arts, political science, science, social issues and more from a variety of current and retrospective news media including newspapers, newswires, broadcast transcripts, blogs, periodicals, videos and web-only content. Includes the Chicago Tribune and some Iowa newspapers.
- America's News Magazines This link opens in a new windowCoverage of U.S. and international news, business, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, and science and technology from 26 familiar magazines.
- Ethnic Newswatch Complete This link opens in a new windowEthnic NewsWatch is a current resource of full-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives. The database now also contains Ethnic NewsWatch: A History, which provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989
- GenderWatch This link opens in a new windowPrimarily a full text database with some abstracts that contains periodicals, academic journals, newsletters, magazines, regional publications, and government reports focused on gender and women's issues. [Not compatible with Internet Explorer 9]
- Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis) This link opens in a new windowTURN OFF POP-UP BLOCKER; Researchers can quickly and easily search full-text documents from over 17,000 credible sources of information and pinpoint relevant information for a wide range of academic research projects. Extensive legal sources for federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790
- Factiva This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune are not accessible from Factiva. Contains a wide variety of financial information including business and economic news, text-search services, stock market quotations, financial and investment services and general news and information.
NB: 10 simultaneous user limit.
- Des Moines Register (1871-) This link opens in a new windowPart of the ProQuest Historical Newspapers (HNP) Iowa Collection.
Creating a Search Statement
1. Create a Research statement
This can be in the form of a question or a sentence. Just think about what you want to research and write it down in one sentence.
2. Identify the Keywords
Look at your research statement. What are the main words or concepts? They will likely be nouns and can include phrases. Highlight them.
3. Think of Synonyms
Look at the words/phrases you highlighted and think of synonyms or alternate phrases to describe these concepts. Scholarly articles often use words that we wouldn't use in ordinary life.
4. Search in the Databases
Pick two or three words/phrases from your list. Put each concept in its own search box.
5. Use Boolean Operators
The most common operators used in databases are AND, OR, and NOT. Make sure you separate different concepts/keywords by AND, and use OR in the same box to combine synonyms.
6. Search again!
Try different combinations of words to get different results. Add more words to narrow down your results. Look at the "Subject" headings for each article to see what keywords are being used the most.