How to Find Online Magazine, Journal and Newspaper Articles

Choosing a Database ~ Step-by-step directions ~ On-campus shortcuts ~ Newspapers

TCC Library provides a number of database resources containing full-text articles from both popular magazines and professional/scholarly journals on subjects ranging from art to zoology. If you are unsure of the difference between popular magazines, trade publications, and scholarly journals, review our Characteristics of Periodical Literature guide.

General Databases include

• Academic Search: 5,300+ magazine & journals
• Academic One File: 5,000+ full text magazines & journals
• Gale Powersearch: 4,200+ magazine & journals
• Readers Guide: 300+ popular magazines since 1983.
• Readers Guide Retro: index only to articles 1890-1982.
• NewsBank: 1,000+ Newspapers since 1970.
• OmniFile: 3,500+ magazine &: journals

1. Get to the TCC Library Website (You are already here !)
2. Select Online Databases from the Library Services menu at the top of this "How To" page
3. Use "Topic Guide" if you don't know which database is the best for your search
4. Click LINCCWeb Electronic Resources shortcut to Login to the LINCC network with your ID and PIN
   ID = # on bottom of your TCC ID Card, starts with a 25.....
   PIN = a 4 digit number
   LINCC - Library Information Network for Cooperative Content
5. If you get the same Login screen again, look above the "Tallahassee Community College" If Borrower ID or PIN is invalid , try retyping the numbers - if that is not successful, call 201-8376 TCC Library Circulation Department to have your card activated / reactivated in the LINCC network system.
6. From the LINCCWeb page, select either a topic from the list, or the Alphabetical tab above the list. ~ warning  ~ Do NOT use the green multi dbase tab !  
   while this feature will allow simultaneous searching across several database platforms, it will not indicate full-text availability and is designed for graduate level research.
   For multi-database searching capability with full-text that is user-friendly, use Omnifile or Gale Powersearch .
7. Select a database - note: most databases provide shortcuts and special features that may simplify your research and allow you to customize your search - take time to read the main screen and see if features like these
   . . . . . limit to: full text
   . . . . . limit to: scholarly journals (peer reviewed or refereed are scholarly)
   . . . . . limit to: specific dates or years, ex: 2000-2005 for recent articles
   are available and appropriate for your topic.
8. Connect to Database  - this will take you out of the LINCCWeb network and connect directly to the website of the database provider, most likely not in Florida. If your security setting on your computer prevents cookies, you will not be able to reach the databases. Reset the security level following the directions in the Help menu of your browser.
9. Articles displayed with HTML Full Text are text files and download quickly. PDF Full Text files are image files, they require a viewer like Adobe and will download more slowly. Most PDF files will only print from the Adobe viewer print command, not from your browser print button.
10. Most databases allow you to print, save to disk, or e-mail the articles you have found.
11. For more search tips on improving your search results, see Searching Tips
12. Be aware that not all databases provide full-text. Some databases are indexes to citations about articles. Only LINCCWeb databases displaying this ~ Full Text  ~ image will allow you to read articles.

If you are using a computer on the TCC campus (in any campus facility or via TCC wireless access) you may link directly into two subscription databases TCC provides. Those full-text databases are:

CQ Researcher: current issues, background, summaries, pros/cons & more. Great for ENC 1102 topics.

SIRS Researcher: Social Issues: Leading Issues topic guide. Includes newspapers, government documents, magazines, journals and links to websites.

Not full-text, but a useful index as the TCC Library has many of the periodicals indexed:

Readers Guide and Readers Guide Retro, citation indexes to articles from 1890 - 2005.

You will also find those on-campus shortcut links listed in the right column of the TCC Online Database page.