ENG 111 / 112 : Start Guide for Undergraduate Level Research

Newspapers and magazines are examples of periodicals. A periodical is a publication that gets published more than once and usually at regular intervals, such as daily, weekly, monthly, or even every other year.

Academic Journals are also periodicals. If you are not familiar with accessing academic journals, connect with the library through the Ask the Library on the library homepage; librarians are available to help you.

The library provides members of the WSU community with access to many periodicals. Included within this page are instructions to setting up accounts with the Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. The end of this page provides links to Flipster, an online collection of popular magazines, and a list of other databases that provide access to additional periodicals.

1. What is a database? How do I find the library's databases? 

A database is a collection of information organization by subject, by type of source, by discipline, by publication date, and then made easily accessible through the internet. The library pays a subscription to access over a hundred databases.

To find the databases, go to the library's Databases page.  Link: libguides.winona.edu/az.php

2. What is a scholarly journal? How do I know a source is scholarly? 

A scholarly journal is a publication with the primary purpose to publish scholarship, original research, or original critical analysis in a field of study or discipline, such as molecular biology or linguistics. The articles are written by experts, professionals in the discipline, or advanced students in that field of study. The articles are reviewed or vetted by scholars (aka, experts) in the discipline prior to the article's publication. These peers make a recommendation to the journal's editor(s) of the validity, credibility, and quality of the article. 

An scholarly article published in an scholarly/academic journal will be longer usually five or more pages. It will also include a list of cited sources, which can be found either in a Bibliography, footnotes, or endnotes. 

3. How do I locate a scholarly journal? 

Go to the library's Databases page, then click on the All Subjects menu to select the most appropriate database for your research topic. Read the brief descriptions of the databases before making your selection. Link: libguides.winona.edu/az.php

In the "Advanced Search" option of many databases you can refine your search to a source that is scholarly, academic, or even peer-reviewed. 

When reviewing an article, pay attention to the scope (aka focus or description) of the journal. If the focus is narrow, on a specialized view, there's a higher possibility that the content is written by scholars. 

Review the "Criteria for Identifying Types of Articles" on the "Types of Sources" page in this guide for further information about scholarly sources.

To search for articles, select one of the databases listed below, or return to the Research Hub and browse the Databases by Subject to select the most appropriate subject database for your topic. 

Chronicle of Higher Education (Institutional Subscription)

The number one news source for college and university faculty members, administrators, and students. 
To set up your Chronicle account provided by the library:
1. You must be on campus to create an account. 
2. Click on the link above.
3. Create an account using your starID@winona.edu email as a login. This video shows you where to click to create an account: Watch the video.
4. If you are using a tablet or mobile device, the Chronicle is available through an app that can be downloaded through WSU Apps. 
5. Having trouble? Email us!

New York Times (Institutional Subscription)

To set up your New York Times account provided by the library:
1. You must be on campus to create your account.
2. Click on the link above.
3. Create an account using your Star ID followed by @winona.edu as a login. 
3. If you are using a tablet or mobile device, the New York Times is available through an app that can be downloaded through WSU Apps. 
4. Having trouble? Email us!

Wall Street Journal (Institutional Subscription)

To activate your WSJ account:
1. Click the link above.
2. Enter your StardID and password
3. Fill out the subscription form.
4. Users with an existing account have the option to connect it to the institutional subscription at the bottom of the "Create Account" page.
5. Repeat these steps every 90 days.
If you are using a tablet or mobile device, the WSJ Mobile app is available through WSU Apps. Having trouble? Email us!