Library Guides: ENGL 015 & 30: Rhetoric and Composition (Berks): 3. Search for Sources

🦁 LionSearch

LionSearch is the PSU Libraries' main search tool. It searches for books, scholarly articles, popular magazines and newspapers, streaming videos, and more! Check out the training video below to save time when searching:

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Specialty Databases

LionSearch is like a big, general department store like Walmart or Target. It has all types of sources from all subject areas.

The specialty databases below are more like stores the focus on a specific product such as Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, or Urban Outfitters. These databases focus on a specific type of source--such as news, opinion pieces, scholarly articles, streaming videos--or a subject area--like sustainability, history, or health.

Try both LionSearch and specialty databases to maximize your searching power!

Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedias & book chapters, great for definition arguments.
A collection of over 2000 reference resources.
Oxford English Dictionary This link opens in a new window
Find definitions of any word that has ever appeared in spoken or written English.
Traces the usage of words through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international English language sources.
Kanopy Streaming Service This link opens in a new window
Streaming documentaries (basically a Netflix for college!)
Kanopy distributes documentaries, independent and world cinema, and classic and award-winning films from a variety of filmmakers, including the Media Education Foundation. Search for specific movie titles, or browse a list of all the online documentaries licensed by the Penn State University Libraries. To find out when the license for a Kanopy video expires, contact the Music and Media Center at musiccenter@psu.edu.
Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window
Arguments for and against, great for persuasive essays.
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center provides research and background information on social issues. The database contains the essays from the Opposing Viewpoints series, supplemented by statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles. Keywords: hot topics, current events, social issues, social trends, English 15, CAS 100, background information, general interest, contemporary issues, overviews.
ProQuest (Multiple Databases) This link opens in a new window
Newspapers, magazines, and journals on many topics.
Searches multiple ProQuest products, indexing 5,000+ magazines, journals, and newspapers. Keywords: news, New York Times, current events, contemporary issues, hot topics, English 15, CAS 100.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Major newspapers, college news, TV and radio news shows.
Provides access to a wide range of news, business, legal, and reference information. Covers many news sources for 20 years. Court cases and statutes from all federal and state jurisdictions are included. Most resources can be searched in full text.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
A trusted archive of important scholarly journals and a selection of scholarly books. Content in JSTOR spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization that provides a trusted archive of important scholarly journals and a selection of scholarly books. Content in JSTOR spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. While indexing for JSTOR articles is covered in LionSearch, the full text of the articles is not searched in LionSearch. Search JSTOR itself to ensure detailed coverage of full texts.
Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Scholarly journal articles and books in all fields.
To link Google Scholar to your PSU account from off campus:
1) Click Settings (top)
2) Click Library Links (left)
3) Type Pennsylvania State University [Enter]
4) Select desired result
5) Click Save (bottom)
Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web. Once you set your institutional preferences, links to full-text, if available at Penn State, should appear.

Find More Specialty Databases
Go to the library guides list to find specialty databases for dozens of subjects!

Bonus: Google's Specialty Searches

Did you know that Google also offers some specialty databases?

Google Scholar This link opens in a new window
Focuses on mainly scholarly articles and books.
Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web. Once you set your institutional preferences, links to full-text, if available at Penn State, should appear.

Google Books
Search for a word through millions of pages from the world's largest digital book collection.
Google Local News
Search local news sources.
Google News Archive
Type in the "Google news" box (not the main Google search box) to find primary sources for historical research.