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Salt, Sugar, Fat: Search Strategy

Research guide for Erinn Struss' ENGL 105

Skyline College Library Databases

Search Preparation:

Focus your topic. Not too broad, not too specific.

Divide the topic into concepts:
Example 1:

Should soft drinks be taxed?

  • soft drinks
  • tax


Example 2:

Should the advertising of sugar be regulated? 

  • sugar
  • advertising
  • regulation

Searching:

OneSearch (To log into our databases off-campus you'll need to use your email or Canvas login.)

Search most of Skyline Library's article databases and book catalog to find a wide range of articles from academic journals, popular magazines, newspapers and reference sources, e-books & other documents, plus print books available in the library.

  • Click on the link above to open a new database window
  • To search for more than one "concept", click on Advanced Search below the Search box.
  • In each search box, type the search word(s) for a separate concept.
    • Type an OR between synonymous words for the same concept.
    • Use quote marks (“ ”) around search phrases (multiple words that should be searched together), e.g. “racial discrimination”

Example 1:

"soft drinks" OR soda
tax OR taxation


Example 2:

sugar OR soda OR "junk food" 
advertising OR television OR TV​
regulations OR laws OR rules​

  • Click the “Search” button to begin a search
  • When the results page is displayed, click on an article title to see detailed information and a summary of the article.
  • To limit results to a specific type of source (e.g. magazine articles, journal articles or books), click on the desired type under  "Source Types" on the left column
  • To see the full-text of an article, click on PDF Full Text or HTML Full Text at the left of the detailed information page
  • To e-mail or print an article, click on the e-mail or print buttons on the right task bar. A source citation will also be sent when you email a document. You can select the citation format (MLA, APA, Chicago) from the menu in the email box.
  • To search for viewpoint articles (opinion, argumentative or persuasive sources), look on the right "Extend Your Search" column, and click on the Opposing Viewpoints in Context search button; then click on Viewpoints to view a list of opinion articles on the topic.
  • To do a Google search with the same search words already entered, click “Search” in the Google box on the “Extend Your Search” column on the right side of the results page
    • Google does not use the *
    • To limit to a specific domain, use site: in front of the domain name (no spaces), e.g.
         site:.edu   will limit a search to just .edu sites
         site:.edu OR site:.gov   will limit a search to either .edu or .gov sites
         -site:.com  will exclude .com
    • To limit to a specific website, use site: in front of the website address (no spaces), e.g.
         site:nytimes.com   will limit a search to just the N.Y. Times website  
           
         site:sfgate.com      will limit a search to just the S.F. Chronicle website
    • When you find a relevant web page in Google results, you can find other pages on similar topics by using Google’s “Similar” option:
         - Click on the pull-down arrow to the right of the green URL line of a Google result
         - Then click on "Similar", if available (not available for all results)
    • Limit by time period:
         - Click on “Search Tools” at the top of the results page;
         - Then click on “Any Time” pull-down menu.

       
  • Additional search boxes for other search engines are available on the “Extend Your Search” column on the right side of the results page
     
  • If no full-text article is displayed for an article, request the article by completing the Article Delivery Service (ADS) form.  Requests through the ADS form will usually be sent to you within 24 hours (often within a much shorter time.)