English 388: Race, Crime, and the Law

Some Suggested Databases

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Google Scholar

Google Scholar Search

What is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is a search engine from Google that searches the full text of some digitized books (not always scholarly) and scholarly journals. If the library databases aren't finding you what you need, it might be worth searching in Google Scholar. This full text search is more flexible than the library databases and can often give you ideas for other search terms to try. However, results are not comprehensive, often lack full text, and lack the advanced search features of the databases. 

Check for Full Text from SMC Library

If you're using Google Scholar off campus, set up your Library Links so that the SMC "Check for Full Text" option appears in Google Scholar. 

If you don't see the full text of an article, search for it using Multisearch.

Google Scholar: click on the quotes to cite, click on "cited by" to see others who have cited it, click on the PDF to get the version available from the web, or click "check for full text" to get to it via SMC's databases 

Database Searching Tips

  • Before typing words into the library databases, think about what words might be used by the kinds of articles you're looking for. Pull out the key concepts that are a part of your research question.
  • If one search doesn't get you what you need, change up your search termsRead the Wikipedia article on your topic, or some encyclopedia articles, or do a search in Google or Multisearch, to see what words others use when they write about your topic. 

If you want to give the database some options for different words on the same concept, put OR between those words.

Screenshot of MLA International Bibliography search with native son in the first box and surveillance OR foucault OR panopticon in the second box

If you want the database to find the words in a phrase in that exact order, put quotation marks around the phrase:

Sample search with "jim crow" in quotation marks

If you're getting way too many results that aren't relevant to your keywords, it could be your keywords are just mentioned once in the text. Sources that have your keywords in the title or subject will be more relevant. Use the dropdown menu to tell the database to search for your keywords in the subjects, title, or anywhere besides the full text. 

Screenshot of Sociological Abstracts search with Document Title selected in the field searching dropdown menu

No one perfect source

You likely won't find one perfect source that ties together Native Son and the particular societal issue you're examining. That's okay! The job of your essay is to take those different puzzle pieces and put them together yourself.

Diagram: Examples of sources you might use in your essay. Evidence from Native Son + Evidence from a class reading (optional) + scholarly book chapter about psychological effects of racism on Black men + scholarly article about segregation in 1930s Chicago + your own interpretation and ideas = Your essay

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