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Library and WWW Resources for 
Computer-Assisted Journalism  
(JRN 407)

This guide should be used as a resource to help find material in the MSU Libraries and on the Web. It is not comprehensive. Please visit the Main Library Reference Desk (1st floor, East Wing) for further assistance.

MAIN LIBRARY RESOURCES

  • Find It Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research. (Main Library Reference, TK5105.875.I57 S35 1999)

    A valuable reference guide to finding information on the World Wide Web. Provides guidelines on search strategies and techniques, and includes information on general and specialized search tools for finding the news, government sources, public records, business resources, and more.

  • Fulltext Sources Online. (Main Library Reference, Z699.2 .F8)

    Lists "publications available in (full-text) from the major commercial online vendors...includes not only traditional periodicals and newspapers, but also newswires, newsletters and transcripts of TV and radio programs" (xiii). Publications are indexed alphabetically by title.

  • Gale Directory of Databases. (Main Library Reference Desk, QA76.9.D32 D5754)

    Provides "detailed descriptions of databases available online throughout the world" (vol. I, ix). Includes a subject index with more than 1200 subject headings. Information is presented in a 2 volume set. Volume I covers online databases, while volume II covers "CD-ROM, Diskette, Magnetic Tape, Handheld and Batch Access Database Products."

  • Gale Guide to Internet Databases. (Main Library Reference Desk, TK5105.875 .I57 G35).

    "Identifies and describes 5,002 domestic and international databases" (x). Includes listings of WWW subject directories, a glossary of Internet terms, an extensive subject index, and more.

  • Washington Online: How to Access the Federal Government on the Internet.. (Main Library Reference, TK5105.875.I57 W37)

    Provides "...detailed descriptions of more than 900 federal government Internet sites, mailing lists, and other resources that you can access for free...It explains how to reach each site, describes what each one offers, provides searching tips for selected sites, and offers advice on where to start a search for federal government information on the Internet" (xxiii).

  • Wired Journalist: Newsroom Guide to the Internet. (Main Library Reference, PN4784.E5 W57 1999)

    Includes information about websites that "are crucial for every journalist to know" (IV). Also provides training exercise and tips for efficient and effective online searching.

WWW SUBJECT DIRECTORIES ORGANIZED BY LIBRARIANS AND OTHER INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS

  • Librarians' Index to the Internet.

    Sponsored by the Library of California and maintained by librarians throughout the state, this searchable directory indexes annotated links to over 7,800 web resources. Includes more than 5,000 different subject areas. Selection criteria for sites include content, authority, scope and design.

  • Internet Scout Report Archives

    Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and created by the Computer Sciences department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this directory includes 11,711 annotated Internet resources. Approximately half of the items have been assigned LC subject headings, allowing users to browse by subject.

  • Internet Public Library Reference Center

    Hosted by the University of Michigan School of Information, this searchable directory organizes web resources within 11 broad subject categories. Users can browse the broad subject areas to find resources in specific subcategories (for example, sociology resources are indexed within the "Social Sciences" area).

  • The Michigan Electronic Library

    Sponsored by the Library of Michigan, this directory allows the user to browse annotated links to web resources in 14 different broad subject areas. Subcategories are indexed within broader subjects (e.g., "Literature" is in "Arts and Humanities").

  • Digital Librarian

    Maintained by librarian Margaret Vail Anderson, this "best of the Web" directory indexes sites in more than 90 subject categories. Includes brief annotations and cross-references.

  • The WWW Virtual Library

    Created by Tim Berners-Lee and maintained by subject specialists throughout the world, this is one of the very first web subject directories.

  • Facts and Reference: Best Source for Facts on the Net

    According to the New York Times (2/8/01), this directory has over 20,000 links to encyclopedias and dictionaries, government sites, online newspapers, and other sources. The Times reports that as a result of using Refdesk.com, General Colin Powell trashed all of his dictionaries and encyclopedias.

WWW SUBJECT DIRECTORIES DESIGNED FOR JOURNALISTS AND NEWS SEARCH TOOLS

  • AJR NewsLink

    Produced by the American Journalism Review, this site links to more than 4,000 online national and regional newspapers, and maintains links to 8,000 "newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and news services worldwide." Allows users to search for publications by city and state. Also includes ratings of top news websites, and a database of jobs for journalists.

  • IPL Online Newspapers

    Produced by the Internet Public Library, this page provides access to online newspapers from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, the South Pacific, and the United States. Allows users to browse by title.

  • A Journalist's Guide to the Internet

    An extensive Web resource guide for journalists created by Christopher Callahan, Associate Dean of Journalism at the University of Maryland at College Park.

  • JournalismNet

    This extensive resource guide is described as "a working journalist's guide to the Net -- 300 different web pages with over 6,000 links designed to help journalists (and anyone else) find useful information fast." Includes guides to finding people, jobs, and facts.

  • Michigan Electronic Library: News, Media, and Periodicals

    Produced by the Michigan Electronic Library, this page provides links to news websites, including sources specific to Michigan news.

  • Power Reporting

    Created and maintained by Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Dedman, this site provides yet another wealth of Web resources for finding and reporting news. Updated daily.


SELECTING AND USING ELECTRONIC RESOURCES AT THE MSU LIBRARIES

MSU students have more than 500 databases to choose from the MSU Libraries Electronic Resources page. Given the abundance of electronic resources, the libraries provide guidelines on how to choose the right database for the information you need.

Quick tips for selecting an appropriate resource:

  • Go to the MSU Libraries Electronic Resources page, and find "Databases Arranged by Subject." Use the drop down menu to choose a subject. Click on "Go."

  • If you know a specific database by title, you can browse an alphabetical list. Go to the MSU Libraries Electronic Resources page, and use the alphabetical links under "Databases Arranged Alphabetically by Title."

  • Go to the MSU Libraries Electronic Resources page, and use "Databases Arranged by Category" to access databases grouped under various topics, such as "General Periodical and News Resources," or "Social Sciences and Education."

  • Go to the menu of options at the top of the MSU Libraries Electronic Resources page. Use the link to
    "Electronic Journals" to find online journals by title or subject.

SELECT NEWS DATABASES AT THE MSU LIBRARIES

  • Broadcast News

    Provides full text coverage of news programs from ABC, CNN, NPR, and PBS. Main Library CD-ROM includes coverage from 1994 to 1999.

  • DataTimes

    Provides indexing and abstracting of over 180 regional U.S. and international newspapers. Updated daily.

  • Dow Jones Interactive.

    Provides full text coverage of 6,000 newspapers, newswires, magazines and trade publications from 1985 to the present.

  • Ethnic NewsWatch

    Includes more than 470,000 full-text articles from over 200 newspapers, magazines and journals of the ethnic press. Coverage is from 1990 to the present, and the database is searchable in both English and Spanish.

  • Lexis-Nexis
    Provides full text coverage of more than 5,600 news, business, legal, medical, and reference publications. News coverage includes "national and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news, and non-English language sources."

  • Newspaper Abstracts

    Provides indexing and abstracting of national and regional newspapers from 1989 to the present. Updated weekly.

  • State News Index

    Index to local MSU State News articles published between July 1985 and June 1996.

ADVANCED SEARCH STRATEGIES

  • Conduct searches by subject rather than just by keyword.

    Use the thesaurus of a database to identify appropriate subject terms.

  • Use "Boolean Operators" (AND, OR, NOT) to broaden or narrow your search:

    Joining keywords with "AND" narrows your search to records that contain both of the terms.

    Joining keywords with "OR" broadens your search to records that contain either term.

    If you want to exclude a term, type "AND NOT" in front of it.

  • Use truncation and wildcards:

    A question mark can sometimes be used to represent different characters within a word. For example, searching for wom?n may find woman, women, or womyn.

  • For more information about advanced keyword searching in MAGIC (the library online catalog), click here.


Please send comments or questions to:
ladenson@msu.edu
Sharon Ladenson, Reference Librarian
Bibliographer for Journalism, Communication, and Telecommunication
Michigan State University Libraries
Updated: October 8, 2001
http://www.lib.msu.edu/ladenson/jrn407.html