Research Guides: Human Services: Find background and news articles

Background information

When you first begin your research you might need to read some background information. Reference books, like encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries, can help you understand the context of the topic, and find key words for your searches. Newspapers and news magazines can provide current or historical context on a topic as well. Another place for background information might be professional organization websites, like the National Organization for Human Services or American Psychological Association Topics pages, or the American Human Services Association. If you need help finding a relevant professional organization to search, ask your professor or a librarian.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Gather basic facts, terminology and background information from Credo's reference collection which includes specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries and atlases.The mind map feature can help you find keywords for your research.

News databases at MCC

US Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Part of ProQuest Newsstand. Local, regional, national, and international newspapers, including the New York Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal. Can also be searched via ProQuest Central.
NewsBank Access World News This link opens in a new window
Current (updated daily) and archived news content from more than 12,700 sources spanning 200+ countries and territories. Includes the NH Union Leader and multicultural collections. You can limit your search by location or try a topic search.
Newspaper Source This link opens in a new window
Includes national, international and regional newspapers, as well as television and radio transcripts including CBS News, CNN, CNN International, FOX News, and NPR.
Independent Voices This link opens in a new window
An open access digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals, drawn from the special collections of participating libraries. These periodicals were produced by feminists, dissident GIs, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Hispanics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press and alternative literary magazines during the latter half of the 20th century.

Limiting to news sources for background on a topic

Newspapers and news magazines can be a good source of background information, which can provide context when you are analyzing psychology and sociology topics. To limit to news or magazine sources, use a news database, or, in OneSearch results, look for and select these choices in database search results:

Searching for a particular article

When you need a specific article
You might be looking for a specific article that you need to read for class, that another article refers to, or that you found online behind a paywall. This video, and guide (with screenshots) explain how to do that..

How to search within a particular publication

Sometimes your assignment suggests particular newspapers, magazines, or journals to search in. This video shows you how to do a search within a particular publication.