Guide to Finding Editorials
Why use editorials?
Editorials provide you with specific opinions or viewpoints on a given issue. As a rule, editorials focus on current, controversial topics. As you begin to search for information keep in mind the dates when your topic was of particular interest. You are most likely to get the best results in your search for topics of national, rather than local or regional, interest.
Finding editorials in electronic databases
To enter the databases:
- From the Undergraduate Library home page, click on Articles in the Find category on the left side of the screen.
- The databases included in the Starting Points (General Databases) and Newspapers links will provide good starting points for finding editorials.
General search tips:
- Avoid using the terms pro and con in your search, unless the issue frequently uses pro- or con- to identify supporters of the position (i.e. pro-life, pro-choice, anti-abortion).
- Read the abstracts of the editorials, when available, as these will provide you with a brief summary of the writer's viewpoint.
Recommended databases for locating editorials:
Academic OneFile (InfoTrac)
- Select Keyword Search in the left-hand navigation bar.
- Type in your keywords and editorial in the search box. For example: stem cells and editorial
- To limit your search to full text editorials:
- Click Limit search in the left-hand navigation bar.
- Click to articles with text box.
- Click Submit.
- To view individual editorials click on the Text or PDF link for a citation.
Periodical Abstracts (FirstSearch)
- Type your search terms in the search box(es).
- Use the Limit to: feature to search to editorial writings. Select either Commentary or Editorial under Article Type.
- To view individual editorials click on the View full-text in HTML format link. If this link is not included, an editorial is not full-text in this database.
Academic Search Premier (EBSCOHost)
- Type your search terms in the search box(es).
- Go to the Limit your results section of the page and in the Document Type category select Editorial.
- To view individual editorials click on the HTML Full Text or PDF Full Text links. If neither of these links is included, an editorial is not full-text in this database.
- Select the Power Search tab.
- Enter your search term(s) and the following: AND editorial
- In the Select Sources section select U.S. Newspapers and Wires
- Select a desired date range.
- Click Search.
- Please note: All results retrieved in this database will be full text. Click on the newspaper name to view the accompanying editorial.
Sources for Editorials/Essays in General Magazines in the Undergraduate Library
The titles below are a located in the Undergraduate Library Periodicals section. Titles are shelved alphabetically.
Note: Browsing for two articles on a particular issue is not recommended; this list is simply to give you an idea of available sources.
- Atlantic Monthly
- Business Week
- Christianity Today
- Environment
- Forbes
- In These Times
- Mother Jones
- Nation
- New Republic
- New Yorker
- Newsweek
- Policy Review
- Progressive
- Public Interest
- Reason
- Science
- U.S. News & World Report
- Utne Reader
Updated: 1/08/2007
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