Finding News Coverage of Research Articles
To find a newspaper report on academic research, go directly to an online newspaper or use a library database such as U.S. Major Dailies or Access World News. Start by entering keywords related to your research topic along with terms like “study,” “research,” or “scientists.”
In this lesson, we will be using U.S. Major Dailies database which includes full-text articles from major newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, which often feature summaries and interpretations of recent scholarly findings written for a general audience.
Finding the Original Research Article
After reading a newspaper report about a research study, look for specific details that can help you track down the original scholarly source. These may include the name of the researcher, the university or institution involved, the journal title, or even a quoted study title. Use library databases like Academic Search Complete, PubMed, or Google Scholar to search using these clues. If you’re unsure, ask a librarian for help or try searching the journal’s website directly.
Comparing the News Article to the Research Article
Once you’ve found the original research article, read it alongside the newspaper report. Pay attention to how the study’s findings are described. Did the report simplify, exaggerate, or omit key details? Is there any differences in tone, language, and emphasis? The newspaper article is written for a general audience, while the research paper is meant for experts, so comparing the two helps you understand how scientific information is translated for public consumption.
Search Tips:
Requesting articles can take a very short time (20 minutes) to many days depending on which library in our sharing network has access to the research article and if it is available as an electronic file. Always start your research early to navigate access issues. If you are stuck, schedule an appointment with a librarian for assistance.
Put the title in the OneSearch search box. Run the search by clicking on the magnifying glass. On the left side there is a toggle to “add results available by Interlibrary Loan” Toggle that on and then you will click onto the “check availability”
Once it opens in the new page, click the blue rectangle that says, “PASCAL Delivers/ILL”.
Once that opens, scroll to the bottom, check the box saying you agree to copyright law and then “Send Request”
