Search for Articles: SAPL Subscription Databases
If you're looking for articles about a career, company, or related topic, begin with library subscription databases. All you need is your San Antonio Public Library card number to access these databases. Here are recommended databases:
- Learning Express: PREP Step 2- and 4-Year Colleges and Universities
For students looking to improve core academic skills, score higher on college placement tests, explore careers, prepare for occupational exams or build workplace skills. - Academic Search Complete Interdisciplinary database containing more than 4,500 full-text journals and magazines. Indexes an additional 4,000 periodical titles.
- Learning Express Library Provides online academic and career practice tests and full-texts of test prep books. Areas covered include academic, such as SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT; basic skills, civil service, cosmetology, EMS, firefighter, GED, law enforcement, ASVAB, postal services, real estate, and U.S. citizenship. Test score report includes explanation of right and wrong answers.
- Regional Business NewsIncorporates full-text coverage of more than 80 regional business publications covering all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States.
- Small Business Reference CenterA collection of small business management resources, including periodicals and reference content. From conducting industry research to financial planning, to marketing a product and franchising a business, you will find all the information you need to succeed.
Database Search Tips
- Think about your question.
- Break it into key concepts and identify terms for each concept. Start with fewer words. Less yields more.
- Think about which individuals or groups of people or organizations are associated with your topic. These might be additional terms to search.
- Consider what type of information you need and where you might find it.
- Use Boolean connectors like and, or, and not to connect keywords. Many databases search the words as a phrase otherwise.
- Truncation characters such as an * (asterisk) can expand your search by retrieving various forms of a word, e.g., comput* retrieves computer, computers, computing, computation, etc.
Evaluating Article Relevance
- Look at subject terms applied to relevant articles. Did you find additional articles by searching these subject headings?
- Which terms or search strategies yielded the best results?
- Look at the abstract. Are there additional keyword terms you might search?
- Don't be too narrow in your search, especially initially.
- How long is the article?
- Who is the author of the article?
- In which journal or periodical was this article published?