UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARY

What is it?

• CQ Researcher is a reference tool providing summaries of current, newsworthy topics. A new topic is included each week. They include overviews, timelines, articles, lists of additional resources and related topics and a pro/con for each issue.

Why use it?

• It nicely packages an issue to provide users a good overview. It's a great starting point for research because it leads you to other articles. CQ Researcher can also lead you to take a topic in a new direction because of the related topics links included with each topic.

Which subjects is this database best for?

• CQ Researcher is great for classes fulfilling composition requirements (e.g. Rhetoric and Speech Communications classes) because it deals with current topics. It can also be used as a starting place for a variety of subjects because it deals with issues in the sciences, communications, business, and technology.

Getting to it

• A direct link is available from the Undergraduate Library Find Articles page under the Starting Points heading. Other libraries may provide links as well. You can search for the database by title from the Online Research Resources page.
• If you are off-campus you can follow the same links. You will be asked to provide you NetID and password to enter the database.

Searching

Click on Advanced Search in the bar on the left side of the page

• Enter search word(s) or phrases in search box provided.
• If you are searching a known word from the article title select Report Titles Only under the search box.

Tips and tricks to focus and improve your search

Limit your results

• Use more words in your search or use words that get at more specific aspects of your topic
• Use specific publication dates or date ranges
• Go back to the home page and click on Browse by Topic in the bar on the left side of the page. Clicking on topics will yield more specific topics and help narrow your search until you get a list of articles.

Too FEW results?

• Use fewer words in your search.
• Try alternative words that describe your subject, including words meaning the opposite.
• Go back to the home page and click on Browse by Topic in the bar on the left side of the page. Clicking on topics will yield more specific topics and help narrow your search until you get a list of articles.
• Double check the database content to make sure you are searching in the best database for your topic.

Too MANY results?

• Use additional words in your search to help focus on specific aspects of your topic.
• Look at the records for articles in your search that look good. Examine the Topics associated with these articles and repeat your search using the subject headings.

Finding the articles

Look at the top of an individual record in the grey box for the following links:

• Full Report - Click on the link to get the Abstract, Overview, Background, etc. Or click on the individual links to get the specific portions of the text.
• Abstract - Click to view a summary of the article.
• Overview - Click for an overview of the topic.
• Background - Click to get background information on the topic.
• Current Situation - Click for a review of new developments regarding this topic.
• Outlook - Click for perspectives on the future of the topic.
• Special Focus - Click for a focused view of one aspect of the topic.
• Chronology - Click for a timeline.
• Pro/Con - Click for differing sides of the issue.
• Bibliography - Click for a list of books, articles, studies and reports for further research.
• Next Step - Click for articles on related topics for further research.
• Contacts - Click for a list of organizations related to the issue, includes web resources.
• Footnotes - Click for footnotes from the full report.

Saving search information

• From the search results screen, click the checkbox to the left of a citation for each article of interest.
• Scroll to the top of the page and click on Save to Favorite List.
• Click on the Favorite Documents link on the left. From here you can check article and email them by clicking on the E-mail Marked Records link at the top of the list.

Saving search information from a report

• Once you are within the report, click the checkbox for Save to Favorite Documents at the top of the screen.
• Scroll to the very top of the page. In the uppermost right-hand corner, look for icons which allow you to save, print or email the document.

Citing your sources

• You must always cite the sources you find from CQ Researcher. Citation guides are available:
  • In print at the Undergraduate Library Information Services Desk (APA, MLA, Chicago Manual of Style and the Blue Book).
  • Online through the Writer's Workshop for APA and MLA - these pages highlight the most common types of works cited.
  CQ Researcher also provides citing options.
  • Create a citation that you can use in your Bibliography or Works Cited page. From within the report, click on Cite Now. Choose a citation style by clicking on the citation styles listed in the upper right of the pop up.
  • Save your citations directly to RefWorks or other software by clicking on the Export Citation to: drop down menu.
  • The CQ Researcher has additional information on citing sources. Go to the CQ Researcher homepage, then click How to cite in the verticle menu bar on the left.

Getting help

Use the Help option in the upper right corner of the page or Ask a Librarian.